American Decades

Important Events in Government and Politics, 1940–1949

On January 3, in his State of the Union Address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asks Congress for $1.8 billion for defense, an unprecedented sum that alarms isolationists.
On January 26, the 1911 U.S.-Japan Treaty of Commerce expires, and Secretary of State Cordell Hull informs the Japanese government that trade will continue only on a day-to-day basis.
On June 3, the War Department agrees to sell Britain millions of dollars' worth of outdated munitions and aircraft.
On June 10, President Roosevelt declares that U.S. policy is changing from "neutrality" to "non-belligerency." Isolationists predict that this shift will lead to America's entrance into the war.
From June 11 to June 13, Congress passes both the Naval Supply Act and the Military Supply Act, authorizing $3.3 billion for defense projects.
On June 28, Republicans nominate Wendell L. Willkie as their presidential...

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