What was isolationism?
1 Answer
Isolationism in terms of the early 1900s meant not advocating for entering the Second World War and staying out of European country's affairs.
Explanation:
After WW1 and economic setbacks from the Great Depression, the US wasn't too keen on entering the European conflict in Europe. In fact, the Wilson- proposed League of Nations was ineffective partially due to the fact that the US wasn't apart of it.
So then why did the US (Wilson) create the League of Nations? Wilson wanted to create a post-WW1 society where war wouldn't occur again. So he created something called the League of Nations (a premonition of the UN) to ensure peace. However, this would mean that the US would become more and more involved in European affairs, so Congress rejected the idea of US joining the League of Nations. This is another example of isolationist policies in the US government.
Another example of isolationism in the early 1900s was the cash- carry system the US had for the European countries. In short, this system involved European countries coming to America, buying weapons in cash, with no strings attached- this didn't ally the US to any specific European country. (However, this system soon changed to the lend- lease system).
Only when the attack on Pearl Harbor and threats to the American people's democratic freedom (which was heightened by FDR's Arsenal of Democracy Speech) did the general American public consent to supporting the war effort. This meant the general public was more lenient and understanding when rations were passed, prices were raised and taxes were increased.
