Example research essay topic: Congress Passed President Roosevelt - 843 words

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In the early 1930 s, America was troubled by the rise of dictatorships in Italy and Germany, and a militaristic government in Japan, but felt unable, and unwilling, to do anything about these developments. The inability of the League Of Nations to halt aggressor nations further strengthened American isolationists. As a result, isolationist congressmen succeeded in passing neutrality acts intended to keep the United States out of another war. President Roosevelt invoked the Neutrality Acts against the belligerents and issued a declaration of American neutrality. Roosevelt s primary goal was to keep the nation neutral in action, however, he did not expect all Americans to remain neutral in thought. The Neutrality Act of 1935 declared that the President should prohibit for six months the shipping of arms to warring powers and should forbid Americans citizens to travel on the ships of nations at war.

Roosevelt preferred and embargo on arms shipments to aggressor nations while permitting the sale of arms to nations defending themselves. But the isolationists felt that if the United States was to keep out of foreign quarrels, it could not afford to distinguish between aggressors and victims. In 1937, congress passed a second Neutrality Act. It retained the restrictions of the earlier legislation and also made it illegal for Americans to travel on ships of warring nations. Belligerent nations were allowed to buy non-military goods from the United States if they paid cash and transported goods in their own ships. Most Americans continued to hope that these laws could keep the country from becoming involved in Europe s seemingly endless troubles.

Before the outbreak of World War II Roosevelt had voiced his objections to the Neutrality Acts. Such legislation played into the hands of aggressor nations by assuring them that there victims could not get military supplies from the United States. When war broke out in Europe, Roosevelt was even more convinced of the need to change the neutrally laws. So in 1939 Congress passed a third Neutrality Act.

It gave the President essentially what he wanted. The embargo on the sale of arms, munitions, and implements of war was repealed; all commerce with the belligerents was to be on a cash and carry basis; the granting of loans was prohibited; Americans were not allowed to travel on belligerent ships; American vessels were forbidden to enter the war zone; and American merchant vessels were not permitted to arm. Although the neutrality acts were passed, in less then three years, Roosevelt had taken his staunchly isolationist people into a global war (392). President Roosevelt stressed the need to strengthen American defenses and give all possible aid to Great Britain. He did this by making Americans realize that they had no experience with going to war for shielding purposes outside the Western Hemisphere. Roosevelt made his countrymen aware of the alarming events in Europe in hopes of strengthening the hand of those Americans who wanted to aid Great Britain.

In addition to all this, Roosevelt also brought to the attention of the American people that the Nazi victories threatened to bring war closer to the United States. Finally, the bombing of Pearl Harbor impelled America into the second World War. Roosevelt had discussed with the British government in 1940 the possibility of making the United States an arsenal of democracy. The United States, however, could not lend money to Britain, since the neutrality acts prohibited loans to belligerents.

So in 1941 Roosevelt introduced a Lend-Lease Act to Congress. It would authorize the President to sell, lease or lend war materials to any nation whose defense he considered vital to America s safety. In return the United States would accept return of the goods after the war. Isolationists in Congress insisted that the measure would drag us into war, nevertheless, public opinion favored the measure and so it was passed. For a country to undergo a change, from absolute isolationism to vital involvement in world affairs, there has to be a major individual influence from the nations leader.

Americas leader was President Roosevelt, who in only three months proved his leadership expertise to the America people. Its no wonder why Roosevelt earned himself four terms as President, he demonstrated his assertiveness by strengthening the military; his openness by making the American people aware of his concerns; his wisdom by understanding all sides of the situation at hand; his political discernment by keeping all his options open; his sensitivity and intuition as he understood the psychology of his citizens; and his awe-inspiring determination, as he declared, what he called, the Four Freedoms (389) (freedom of speech and worship; freedom from want and fear). No modern American president was better at this kind of tactical management than Roosevelt (380). After passing the Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 1937, the American attitude toward aggressor nations began to change. It could no longer be said that America was a neutral nation, they were now involved with worldly concerns.

There was no better leader to embark the nation in a new kind of foreign policy then Roosevelt. 320

Research essay sample on Congress Passed President Roosevelt