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U.S. History
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Essential Questions
• Analyze Americas policy regarding
Jewish immigration
• Discuss the reasons for Americas AntiSemitism attitudes
• Explain the causes and effects of these
beliefs and policies
United States Immigration
Quotas
• In 1938, more than 300,000
Germans-mostly Jews
applied for U.S. visas.
• In 1939, the quota allowed
for 27,370 German citizens
to immigrate to the U.S.
• U.S. denied visas
immigrants who were "likely
to become a public charge.“
• This left most Jews unable
to immigrate having lost
everything to the Nazi’s.
Kristallnacht,
the "Night of Broken Glass,"
Denying Jewish Refugees
• The Secretary of Labor, proposed
to FDR an executive order giving
priority to immigrants seeking
refuge from racial or religious
persecution.
• The State Department objected not
wanting to antagonize Germany and
alienate jobless U.S. citizens.
• FDR never issued the order and the
U.S. continued to reject visa
applications of Jewish refugees.
Jewish Refugees
American Public Against Jewish
Immigrants
• In 1935 the Nuremberg Laws
were passed.
• In 1936 the U.S. approved
7,000 visas for German Jews.
• In 1938 the U.S. allowed
20,000 to come into the
country.
• An opinion poll taken in the
U.S. revealed the 82% of the
American public opposed
admitting large numbers of
Jewish refugees.
Nazi Party Rally in
Nuremberg 1935
Breakdown of % Jewish
•
•
•
•
People with four German
grandparents (white
circles) were of "German
blood", while people were
classified as Jews
If they were descended
from three or more Jewish
grandparents (black
circles in top row right).
Either one or two Jewish
grandparents made
someone a Mischling (of
mixed blood).
The Nazis used the
religious observance of a
person's grandparents to
determine their race
Refused Entry
• In 1939 a passenger ship
called the St. Louis left
Germany carrying 1,000 -mostly Jews.
• Many qualified for visas, but
had not yet received them.
• The State Department refused
to allow the refugees to land
without special legislation by
Congress or an executive
order from the president
Refugees on the St. Louis
Refused Entry
• FDR ignored a telegram
pleading their case.
• St. Louis returned to
Europe and were granted
asylum in several nations.
• When Hitler's troops
marched through Europe,
the Nazis caught most of
the St. Louis' passengers
and sent them to
concentration camps.
Over 1/4 of the passengers
on the St. Louis were later killed
in concentration camps
Jewish Refugee Children
• A bill to admit Jewish refugee
children above the regular quota
was introduced in Congress.
• FDR allowed the bill to die in
committee.
• Polls indicated that 2/3 of
Americans opposed taking in
Jewish children.
• In the beginning of the war the
U.S. government did not believe
that Hitler was planning on a
genocide of the Jews.
Still No Help
• U.S. imposed even stricter visa
regulations fearing enemy spies.
• By 1943 the American public
became aware of the enormity of
Nazi atrocities.
• They began to demand that the
U.S. rescue the remaining Jews
in Europe.
• In 1943 another resolution came
before congress to give refuge
the Jews – the State Department
again objected.
The War Refugee
Board
• Angered with the administrations lack of
compassion for the Jews, Jewish Secretary of
Treasury, Henry Morgenthau wrote a report
outlining the long history of the State
Departments obstruction to allow Jewish
refugees into the U.S.
• It was called, “Report to the Secretary on the
Acquiescence of this Government in the Murder
of the Jews.”
• In response FDR created the War Refugee Board
and signed an executive order to “rescue the
victims of enemy oppression in imminent danger
of death.”
Henry Morgenthau
The War Refugee Board
• The WRB mobilized rescue
activities.
• It issued war-crimes warnings
and sent food parcels into
concentration camps.
• In 1944 the WRB sent a
Swedish businessman, Raoul
Wallenberg to implement a
plan to rescue Hungarian
Jews who were about to be
deported to Auschwitz.
• Wallenberg's efforts saved
more than 20,000 lives.
Wallenberg was captured
by the Soviet Union at the
end of the war and died in
prison in 1947
The War Refugee Board
• The WRB established
sanctuary outside of
Europe for rescued
refugees
• The War Refugee Board
saved an estimated
200,000 Jews the few
months of the war.
American military police admit a
Father & daughter, to the refugee
shelter in New York, 1944.
Could we have
done more?
• Killed in the Holocaust:
– 1.2 million Jewish children
– 4.8 million Jewish adults
• Left homeless:
– Two years after the war
850,000 were still homeless
Pastor Martin Niemoller
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Essential Questions
• Analyze Americas policy regarding
Jewish immigration
• Discuss the reasons for Americas AntiSemitism attitudes
• Explain the causes and effects of these
beliefs and policies