Transcript The American Reaction to the Holocaust

The American Reaction to the
Holocaust
THE S. S. ST. LOUIS AFFAIR, ANTISEMITISM, AND THE ROOSEVELT
ADMINISTRATION
Research Questions
 How is the S. S. St. Louis Affair a prime example of
sentiment towards Jewish people held by
Americans?
 How did Americans (leaders, citizens, etc.) address
the Holocaust before and during World War II?
 Why did they react in these ways?
The S. S. St. Louis Affair
 Sailed from Hamburg, Germany




to Havana, Cuba.
Upon its arrival in Havana, its
passengers were not allowed to
set foot on land.
Set its sights on landing in the
United States, but its telegrams
were ignored.
Eventually went back to Europe.
Conclusions
The Roosevelt Administration
 Many scholars support




the claim that FDR was
not solely at fault.
The U.S. State
Department and
Breckinridge Long.
Wagner-Rogers Bill
(1939)
“The Jew Deal”
Conclusions
Anti-Semitism in the United States
 Father Charles E. Coughlin
 Indifference towards
persecution of European
Jewry
 Racist ideologies
 The Holocaust as a
retrospective construction.
 Conclusions
Significance to World War II in the U.S.
 American Pluralism
 President Roosevelt’s role
 The memory of the Holocaust