America Moves Toward War- Reading Guide
Vocab: Prepare a detailed definition for each of the following terms
“Cash and Carry” policy
The destroyer deal
Selective Training and Service Act (1940)
Axis Powers
“The Great Arsenal of Democracy”
Lend-Lease Act (1941)
Radar
Atlantic Charter
Allies
Dec. 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor
Guided Reading Questions: Provide comprehensive answers, in complete
sentences, to each of the following questions.
1. How did Roosevelt and Congress react to the outbreak of WWII in
September, 1939? What were the limitations on this first step away from
neutrality?
2. What steps to Roosevelt and Congress take to prepare the U.S. after the fall of
Paris in 1940?
3. The summer of 1940 saw the constant air attacks of Germany’s Luftwaffe on
British cities, commonly known as the Battle of Britain. How did different
factions of Americans react to Roosevelt’s “destroyer deal”?
4. In September 1940, Congress passed the Selective Training and Service Act
to provide for the manpower America would need if it was forced to join the
fight. How do countries like Germany, Italy, and Japan react to America’s
move toward war?
5. Who are the presidential candidates in the election of 1940? Why do
Americans elect Roosevelt to an unprecedented third term?
6. What did Roosevelt mean when he urged America to become “the great
arsenal of democracy?” Why must we do this?
7. When does Hitler break his nonaggression pact with Stalin? How does
Roosevelt react to this turn of events?
8. From the section Planning a Charter for War, explain why some provisions
of the Atlantic Charter might be seen as hypocritical.
9. German wolf packs stepped up their attacks on U.S. ships in the fall of 1941.
Provide a timeline of attacks and Roosevelt’s reaction to these.
10. Explain how U.S.-Japanese trade ultimately leads to the attack on Pearl
Harbor. Create a timeline of events from July 1941-Dec. 11, 1941.
***Stop when you finish reading A Fearful and Fearsome Response***