Final answer:
The U.S. initially adopted a policy of neutrality to avoid European conflicts, yet President Roosevelt provided support to Britain and France through measures like designating military surplus for aid, initiating a peacetime draft, and implementing the Lend-Lease policy, which allowed the U.S. to supply the Allies while maintaining official neutrality until the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question at hand is centered on the United States' resistance to becoming involved in European conflicts during the late 1930s and how President Franklin D. Roosevelt navigated this resistance while finding ways to support Britain and France. Throughout the 1930s, the U.S. adopted a stance of neutrality, reflecting a widespread desire to avoid a repeat of World War I involvement. Despite this, Roosevelt had a different view; he hoped that by providing support to nations facing totalitarian regimes, not only would the U.S. help in the defense of democracies but also provide a boost to its own economy struggling with the Great Depression.
Roosevelt navigated the strict neutrality laws by various means. He designated military supplies as “military surplus” to be sent to Britain, initiated a peacetime draft, and arranged for the transfer of fifty destroyers to Britain in exchange for leases on British naval bases. This material aid was further bolstered by the Lend-Lease policy, which allowed, without outright military intervention, the United States to become the “arsenal of democracy” supplying Allies with arms and supplies, all while America remained officially neutral up until the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The U.S. stance gradually shifted as it became evident that isolationism may not shield the country from the global threats posed by Axis powers. The collaboration was starkly evident in the regular communications between Churchill and Roosevelt, with the former warning of catastrophic consequences if Britain were to fall to the Nazis. Additionally, in response to Japanese aggression, Roosevelt halted oil sales to Japan, signaling a decisive move away from strict neutrality and setting the stage for the eventual U.S. entry into the war post-Pearl Harbor.