Transcript AH-L39-US-joins-the

Warm-up:
Explain the
meaning of this
cartoon
The U.S. Goes to
War
The U.S. on the Brink of War
• American policy in the early years of the
war was to remain neutral but still
making war supplies for the Allies, such
as Great Britain
• The US began to emerge from the
depression by producing goods for the
Allies
• FDR focused on domestic issues
surrounding Great Depression in 1930s
• Congress passes Neutrality Acts
• 1st…bans providing weapons to nations at
war
• 2nd…banned loans to nations at war
• 3rd…permits trade of nonmilitary goods with
fighting nations…cash and carry
• Prevented US from selling arms even to
those nations that were trying to defend
themselves from aggression
U.S. Involvement Grows
• After Poland,
Americans shared
interests with allies
• Roosevelt asked for
revision of Neutrality
Acts…make them
more flexible
• Isolationists formed
the America First
Committee to protest
increasing aid to
Britain
•The Lend Lease Act
•Britain confessed
inability to pay cash for
supplies
•FDR announced new
plan…no payment in
return
•Authorized President
to aid any nation whose
defense he believed was
vital to American
security
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
• July 1940, FDR
began limiting what
Japan could buy
from US
• General Tojo Hideki
became Prime
Minister of Japan in
October 1941
• US military leaders
knew of an attack in
Pacific by Nov. 27,
just not where
• On morning of
December 7, 1941
Japan attack US
naval base on Oahu
• In less than two
hours, thousands of
Americans were
killed or wounded,
and hundreds of
ships and planes
were destroyed
United States Declares War
• The attack on Pearl Harbor stunned
Americans
• Roosevelt declared December 7, 1941 as
“a date which will live in infamy”
• On December 8, 1941, Congress passed a
war resolution and FDR signed a
declaration of war on Japan
• On December 11, Germany and Italy
declared war on the United States.
• America, once again was involved in a
world war as a result of Pearl Harbor
• FDR signing the
declaration of
war on Japan
(National Archives)
Activity:
• Pearl Harbor DVD by National
Geographic With guided questions