Neutrality Acts

(noun)

A number of laws that were passed by the United States Congress in the 1930s, in response to the growing turmoil in Europe and Asia that eventually led to World War II. They were spurred by the growth in isolationism and non-interventionism in the US following its costly involvement in World War I and sought to ensure that the US would not become entangled again in foreign conflicts.

Related Terms

Examples of Neutrality Acts in the following topics:

  • Degrees of Neutrality

    • Despite an official position of neutrality declared in the Neutrality Act of 1939, the U.S. consistently supported the Allied forces.
    • This apparent contradiction can be explained by Franco's pragmatism and his determination to act principally in Spanish interests in the face of Allied economic pressure, Axis military demands, and Spain's geographic isolation.
    • Several other countries attempted to remain neutral but were invaded.
    • In November 1939, the American Neutrality Act was amended to allow "cash and carry" purchases by the Allies (described in Module 33.3.2).
    • Green: neutral status, recognized by constitutions and international society; pink: neutral status not recognized by international society; orange: formerly neutral states

  • America's Growing Involvement in WWII

    • Though "cash and carry" concepts had already been introduced in the Neutrality Acts of 1936 and 1937, these Acts only pertained to materials that could not be used in war efforts.
    • The 1939 cash and carry legislation was designed to replace the Neutrality Act of 1937, which had lapsed in May of 1939.
    • Some argued that this provision would maintain US neutrality.
    • The Act effectively ended the United States' pretense of neutrality.
    • Neutrality Acts of the 1930's.

  • American Isolationism

    • As Europe moved closer to war in the late 1930s, the United States Congress continued to demand American neutrality.
    • Between 1936 and 1937, much to the dismay of President Roosevelt, Congress passed the Neutrality Acts.
    • For example, in the final Neutrality Act, Americans could not sail on ships flying the flag of a belligerent nation or trade arms with warring nations.
    • The first came in 1939 with the passage of the Fourth Neutrality Act, which permitted the United States to trade arms with belligerent nations, as long as these nations came to America to retrieve the arms, and pay for them in cash.
    • The second phase was the Lend-Lease Act of early 1941.

  • How Skeletal Muscles Produce Movements

    • During extension, the triceps act as the agonist while the biceps act as the antagonist.
    • Typical muscle pairings include the biceps brachii and triceps brachii, which act to flex or extend the forearm.
    • In this sense, the bone acts as a lever with the attached muscle fiber's contraction, driving movement.
    • They often act to reduce excessive force generated by the agonist muscle and are referred to as neutralizers.
    • The triceps brachii (not shown) acts as the antagonist.

  • Lewis Acid and Base Molecules

    • The "neutralization" reaction is one in which a covalent bond forms between an electron-rich species (the Lewis base) and an electron-poor species (the Lewis acid).
    • For now however, we will consider how the Lewis definition applies to classic acid-base neutralization.
    • We have previously described this as an acid-base neutralization reaction in which water and a salt are formed.
    • Under the Lewis definition, hydroxide acts as the Lewis base, donating its electron pair to H+.
    • Thus, in this version of the neutralization reaction, what interests us is not the salt that forms, but the covalent bond that forms between OH- and H+ to form water.

  • A Strained Neutrality

    • In the early years of World War I, Wilson urged neutrality and attempted to mediate peace, despite growing anti-German sentiment in the US.
    • When the war began, the U.S. proclaimed a policy of strict neutrality—"in thought and deed", as President Woodrow Wilson put it.
    • Wilson was under pressure from former president Theodore Roosevelt, who denounced German acts as "piracy".
    • Anti-war sentiment was still strong in the US, despite growing calls for an end to neutrality.
    • Discuss the factors that strained America's commitment to neutrality in the early years of World War I.

  • Neutralization Reaction

    • Neutralization reactions are used to inactivate viruses and evaluate neutralizing antibodies.
    • A neutralizing antibody defends a cell from an antigen or infectious body by inhibiting or neutralizing any effect it has biologically .
    • Antibodies can also neutralize viral infectivity by binding to cell surface receptors.
    • Neutralizing antibodies have shown potential in the treatment of retroviral infections.
    • In diagnostic immunology and virology laboratories, the evaluation of neutralizing antibodies, which destroy the infectivity of viruses, can be measured by the neutralization method.

  • Enforcing the Navigation Acts

    • Later revisions of the Act added new regulations.
    • The Acts were in full force for a short time only.
    • Even more importantly, England conceded to the principle of "free ship, free good" which provided freedom for Dutch ships from molestation by the British Royal Navy on the high seas, even in wars in which the Dutch Republic was neutral.
    • On the whole, the Navigation Acts were more or less obeyed by colonists, despite their dissatisfaction, until the Molasses and Sugar Acts.
    • Describe the central stipulations of the Navigation Acts and the Acts' effects on the political and economic situation in the colonies

  • Basic and Amphoteric Hydroxides

    • Some metal hydroxides are amphoteric, or capable of acting as either an acid or base.
    • We will begin with the familiar case of a hydroxide acting as a base.
    • From our solubility rules, we know that Al(OH)3 is largely insoluble in neutral water; however, in a strongly acidic solution, the situation changes.
    • This is a classic acid-base neutralization reaction: the HCl completely protonates all three hydroxides per mole of Al(OH)3, yielding pure water and the salt AlCl3.
    • Here, aluminum hydroxide picks up an hydroxide ion out of solution, thereby acting as a Lewis acid.

  • Functions of the State

    • Various schools of thought consider the state to be either a neutral entity separated from society or an immoral partisan instrument.
    • A state is an organized political community acting under a government.
    • Theories of this variety view the state as a neutral entity distinct from both society and the economy.
    • They then view the state as a neutral body that simply enacts the will of whichever group dominates the electoral process.
    • Within the pluralist tradition, Robert Dahl developed the theory of the state as a neutral arena for contending interests.