1. explain the reasons for u. s. neutrality during the 1920s and 1930s. how did ideas about neutrality change during the period from the end of world war i to the passage of the lend-lease act? be sure to include any events, terms, or people that may support your response.
2. in your opinion, what was the point at which u. s. actions were no longer neutral? explain your reasoning with supporting details from the lesson.
3. criticize or defend each of the u. s. actions surrounding world war ii that are listed below. justify your opinion with supporting details from the lesson.
1st neutrality act
cash and carry
u. s aid to china
lend-lease act

1- The US had always been an Isolationist country, meaning that they tried to stay out of foreign affairs. This is probably because of the difficulty we were experiencing internally. We ended up sending help to Britain and the Allied forces because they had more democratic governments, while the Axis forces were more authoritarian. The US was inclined to help democratic countries because they would be stronger allies and not nearly as hostile.
3-First neutrality act- I agree with the US decision to stay neutral at first, because it is what we were familiar with and because we needed to save supplies in case the fighting escalated over here. Cash and Carry- I personally disagree with the Cash and Carry amendment to the Neutrality Act, because it made the US a bigger target, since we were actually supplying the war effort on the Allied side. US Aid to China- I support the US aid to China because, again, they were a more democratic country that was under attack by Japanese forces. The Japanese forces were allies with Germany, who was at war with our allies, Britain and France. Lend-Lease act- The Lend-lease act was good because it aided Britain, who was struggling against Germany. This also established good foreign relations between the US and UK that still exist today.
2-Americans had entered World War I with great reluctance. Following the conflict, the country returned to the policy of isolationism. The Great Depression of the 1930s reinforced the idea that the U.S. needed to concentrate on domestic problems, rather than foreign affairs. At the same time, great changes were happening in Europe and Asia. New, forceful leaders were rising in Germany and Italy, and Japan was demonstrating more military strength. How did these events slowly draw the United States back onto the world stage? In this lesson, you will learn about the shift from isolationism to intervention that took place during the 1930s. You will consider the events surrounding this change and analyze increasing levels of U.S. involvement. At the end of the lesson, you will write three paragraphs in which you discuss your ideas about the point at which the United States was truly committed to involvement in the 20th century's defining conflict—World War II.