Your Job:
You are the representative for the United States. It is your job to research
and report on the events leading up to the US involvement in WWII, including
the catalyst, or the event that finally pushed the US into war. Here are
some questions to help guide your research. Why did the US claim neutrality
when WWII broke out? What was Cash and Carry? What was the Destroyers for
Bases Agreement? What was the Lend-Lease Act? Do Cash and Carry, the
Destroyers for Bases Agreement, and the Lend-Lease Act conflict with the US
position of neutrality or not? Explain. Was the US really neutral in the
first years of WWII? Why did the US place an economic embargo on Japan and
what did that embargo include? Did the embargo work? What was Japan's
response to the embargo? What happened at Pearl Harbor and what nations were
involved?
Internet Links
Here is information on the Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, 1937 and 1939 and
reasons for US neutrality.
http://library.thinkquest.org/15511/data/encyclopedia/neutralityacts.htm
This site has information on the US policy of Cash and Carry as well as
information on other policy changes that occurred in the US between the Nazi
invasion of Poland and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
http://www.iub.edu/~easc/security_issues/unitedstates/Neutrality_Act.pdf
This page contains correspondence between the British Ambassador to the US
and the US Secretary of State, Cordell Hull regarding the Destroyers for
Bases Agreement. It has a message sent by President Roosevelt to the
Congress on September 3, 1940, which is the day after the agreement was made.
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Dip/PaW/179.html
This is some information on Lend Lease and US neutrality.
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=71
Here is the actual wording of the Lend Lease Act. Pay closest attention to
Section 3 and Section 8.
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq59-23.htm
Here are a number of primary sources related to the Lend Lease Act.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWlendlease.htm
This is a great page on the economic sanctions the US placed on Japan. Focus
on the following sections: "War with China and Conflict with the US,"
"Economic Sanctions, Negotiations, and War," and "Oil." If you pay close
attention in the first section listed you can also see reason why the US
government claimed neutrality in the early years of the war.
http://www.american.edu/TED/ice/japan-oil.htm
This page has tons of information on the attack on Pearl Harbor, the events
leading up to, US reasons for having its navy in Pearl Harbor, Japan's reason
for attacking Pearl Harbor, as well as information on the navy ships
involved, photographs, and much more.
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/pearlhbr.htm
This page contains FDR's speech to Congress the day after the attack on Pearl
Harbor.
http://www.p38lessonplan.com/infamy.htm