Isolationism in 1900’s

The Depression focused attention on the nation’s economy, leaving little time for foreign relations. The United States largely produced the goods it consumed, and had few import needs. In addition, tariffs made imported goods expensive, and at a time when Americans stood in breadlines, basic necessities often became a commodity. During the Great Depression of the1930’s, Americans could ill afford food, and the expenses of another war would have cost the Roosevelt administration re-election. At the same time, isolationism was being recognized by some as idealistic rather than realistic. Interventionists pressed that European events would inevitably effect the United States.

Legislation was passed to ensure neutrality and reduce the sale of arms and munition abroad. At the same time, President Franklin Roosevelt was trying to strike a balance between isolation and involvement. As war waged in Europe and Asia in the late 1930’s, he knew he could not put off involvement much longer. In an attempt to sway the isolationist public toward more involvement, he gave a speech saying in part the interdependence of the world “makes it impossible for any nation completely to isolate itself from economic and political upheavals in the rest of the world.” Soon later, the United States’ involvement would be forced, as even previous isolationists supported intervention after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

References

Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers, Inc. 2000 map titled The United States in the Caribbean. Retrieved July 6, 2009 from https://uwconl.courses.wisconsin.edu/content/onl/his/HIS102-SU09/unit3/l10-discuss_2.htm.

Divine, Robert A., Breen, T.H., Frederickson, George M., Williams, R. Hal, Gross, Ariela J., & Brands, H.W. America: Past & Present. Vol. 2. 8th ed. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2007.

Roosevelt, Franklin D. “The President’s Address in Chicago” [The Quarantine Speech]. October 5, 1937. Multilaterals Project, The Fletcher School, Tufts University. Http://fletcher.tufts.edu/multilaterals.html; September 17, 2007.

Treaty Between the United States of America, Belgium, the British Empire, China, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and Portugal [Nine Power Pact]. Signed at Washington, February 6, 1922. Source: http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/forrel/1922v1/tr22-01.htm.

Unger, Irwin and Tomes, Robert R. “The New Jersey Klan Speaks Out” (1924). American Issues: A Primary Source Reader in United States History, 2nd Ed., vol.2. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999.