Laura Chen and Jesse Kline

APUSH II
Mr. Bolger
December 17, 2009

Introduction-
The United States was an isolationist nation at the time of great economic growth leading

to the Great Depression. Instead of depending on foreign markets and getting involved in other

nation’s problems, the American government and corporations knew it would be wiser to stay

domestic and build a strong and neutral nation. Throughout the 1920s, the nation did just this.

When the Depression rocked the nation through the 30s, a shift in presidential administrations

took place but both the new and previous stayed isolated. Because the Depression could be

blamed on foreign markets, President Wilson chose to cut off ties with the world and “keep us

out of war” by remaining neutral until it was absolutely necessary during World War I. It was

necessary for the American government and people as a whole to not sign treaties or create

alliances with foreign nations in order to stay powerful in decision making and not feel obligated.

When the Central Powers moved into surrounding nations such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, and

France in 1939, President Roosevelt knew it was necessary to get more involved in the raging

war, but he did not want to intervene completely. Instead, he attempted to please both the

isolationists and the interventionists by helping the allies but not getting completely involved

until absolutely necessary. To safeguard the nation’s power and ensure peace for as long as

possible, the United States remained isolate for the majority of society believed it was the right

thing to do, the economy of the nation would be better off staying away from the unstable

foreign troubles, and the American government while isolated was more powerful for it was not

obligated to do as others told, allowing them to make decisions on their own.

Rebuttal-
Isolation is necessary for a country become a great world power and to ensure peace on earth.

By staying out of the way of neighboring countries and worrying only about what is occurring

domestically, The United States would have guaranteed no American deaths or involvement

whatsoever.

• America’s physical involvement in the war only occurred after the attack on Pearl

Harbor, which was cause by America’s need to get involved with the Sino-Japanese war.

• By selling armaments to Great Britain and other Allied countries + telling them German

U-boats were around, America got involved without declaring war, breaking their

isolation and giving the Axis a reason to view them as enemies

It was Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the American Congress who represented the people of the

United States during World War II, and their choice to remain isolated for as long as they did

was a reflection of the majority in society who believed it was the best was to ensure the nation

power and world peace. If America had chosen to not get involved with the foreign market, the

Great Depression may not have occurred in the years leading up to the World Wars and

America’s domestic economy would have been much more stable. A nation that creates alliances

and treaties with others is giving away its independence, decreasing its power. Thus, the United

States would have been far better off staying in an isolated state where the power would

accumulate and world peace would be inevitable.