The Lend-Lease Act - March 11, 1941-September 2, 1945
Ever since the last great war, the United States of America had decided to be a neutral country, not selling any weapons to opposing sides, strictly staying out of the conflict. However, President Franklin Roosevelt still wanted to aid the United Kingdom. He couldn’t send arms to the UK because that would break the United States’ neutrality. Instead, he wrote the Act to Further Promote the Defense of the United States, also known as the Lend-Lease Act. The Lend Lease Act says that the United States can aid any country whose security was vital to the defense of the United States. After this was ratified, the US could then send ships, goods, and other needed items to Great Britain. The US also later sent items to the Soviet Union, similar to what they were sending to the UK. Back in the United States, many people were skeptical of this act, worrying that it would catapult the United States into the war. Roosevelt assured them that it would keep the United States out while lending much needed aid to their fellow world power. Luckily, the majority of people agreed with his decision. The Lend lease Act was terminated on September 2, 1945.