Homework Question on Isolationist Policy
- Why did the United States Adapt an Isolationist Policy in the 1920′ and 1930’s?
Homework Answer on Isolationist Policy
In the years past the World War I, the United States leaders decided to embrace a cautious foreign policy that would protect the interests of the Americans. They made attempts to be less involved in global commitments, which would otherwise reduce their capability in meeting this goal. The United States, therefore, adopted isolationism policy to evade foreign involvements that could lead to unnecessary war.
The American nation perceived the European and Asian nations as areas vulnerable to conflict due to their involvement in internal and external disputes, which would draw the US into another unnecessary war. The most notable moves were the dismissal of the idea of joining the League of Nations and the striking down of the Versailles Treaty, while embarking on enacting laws that would protect their interests. For instance, the Emergency Quota Act (1921) was meant to restrict foreigners from getting into the US.
The law allowed only three percent of any given nationality that had migrated to the U.S in 1910, and then later (after three years) was lessened to two percent.The US government set very high tariffs that were meant to lock out the products from other foreign nations. This resulted in the absence of the US market in the European nations, increased prices of products for the American consumers, and loss of jobs in the foreign countries since they were unable to do business with the US. All the above reasons held sense for the Americana and the administration because they felt they did not have to go into World War I in the first place, and therefore made all efforts to avoid any future involvements in wars.