WW2

Isolationism

A policy when the U.S. avoided involvement in the war and did not take sides.

Neutrality Acts

Legislation passed by Congress in 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1939 to keep the U.S. out of European conflicts.

Lend Lease

Legislation passed in 1941 to lend arms to Britain.

Cash and Carry

A policy that allowed the U.S. to negotiate the destroyer-for-bases deal and enact the Lend Lease Act.

Atlantic Charter

A document establishing goals for the post-war period.

Pearl Harbor Attack

The Japanese attack on a U.S. military base that prompted U.S. entry into WWII.

Japanese Internment

An executive order allowing internment camps for residents considered a threat to security.

Korematsu vs United States

Court case that upheld the conviction of Fred Korematsu, establishing that civil rights could be set aside in wartime.

Homefront

The transition from a peacetime to wartime economy involving price controls and the War Production Board.

D-Day invasion

The operation that kicked Germany out of France, involving 156,000 troops.

Double V Campaign

A campaign by African Americans for victory over enemies abroad and equality at home during WWII.

Navajo Code Talkers

American Indians who communicated messages in a code based on the Navajo language during WWII.

Bracero Program

A program that brought Mexican laborers to work in agriculture and railroads during wartime labor shortages.

Manhattan Project

The project to develop the first atomic bomb during WWII, costing over 25 billion.

Dropping the Bomb

The act of dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender.