Neutrality Acts

After World War I (1914–18), Americans were determined to avoid involvement with another foreign war. A policy of isolationism evolved in which the American government refused to allow foreign issues to become a domestic concern. Congress passed a series of laws between 1935 and 1939 to prevent America from becoming involved in other nations' conflicts. These Neutrality Acts defined America's limits of interacting with other nations at war.

Congress passed the first act in 1935; it had an expiration date in February 1936. It restricted the United States from either selling arms or carrying war material to nations engaged in a conflict. It also recommended that American citizens be warned against traveling on those nations’ ships. The administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945; served 1933–1945) was frustrated by the act's restrictions. Congress, however, passed another Neutrality Act in 1936 before the first one expired.

The Neutrality Act of 1936 extended the restrictions of the first. It also prevented third parties that became involved in a conflict on behalf of another nation from purchasing arms through the United States. Loans by American citizens to belligerent countries were forbidden. When civil war broke out in Spain later that year, Congress passed another bill. It made the Neutrality Act apply to civil conflicts too. Like the Act of 1935, those in 1936 had expiration dates.

When Congress began debates concerning the next Neutrality Act in 1937, pressure existed to allow some sales of goods, other than arms, to belligerent nations. As a result, the next bill provided the opportunity to sell supplies to belligerent nations for immediate payment in cash. Delivery of the goods was to be the responsibility of the buyer. The cash-and-carry principle was a welcome change to Roosevelt, who had concerns about evolving events in Europe. Without the cash-and-carry principle, it was nearly impossible to give any support to the European countries facing the rise of Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) in Germany. The embargo on arms sales, the ban on loans, and the restrictions on travel remained the same in the Neutrality Act of 1937.

In 1937, Japan invaded China, and in 1938 Hitler annexed Austria to Germany. However foreboding these events were, Americans remained uninterested in becoming involved in other nations’ distress. Roosevelt, however, was concerned, and he was frustrated by the impartial restrictions placed by the Neutrality Acts. In 1939, he pleaded for increased authority to extend assistance to friendly nations. His first proposals were rejected.

After World War II (1939–45) began with Germany's invasion of Poland, Roosevelt finally won Congressional support. The result was that the United States could supply any belligerent country willing to pay cash. Since Great Britain and France controlled the seas and could assure transport of purchases, they were the countries to benefit from the new law.

The Neutrality Acts continued to restrict American aid to European nations engaged in World War II until March 1941. With cash payments increasingly difficult to expect from the war torn nations, Roosevelt introduced the Lend-Lease Act . By allowing loans of military supplies to allies, the Lend-Lease program effectively removed the restrictions of the Neutrality Acts.