Final answer:
The Neutrality Act banned trade and discouraged travel to help keep America out of the war. These acts were responses to the growing tensions in Europe and Asia that eventually led to World War II. Hence, the correct answer is option (2).
Step-by-step explanation:
The Neutrality Act of 1935 made it illegal for the United States to sell armaments to warring nations. The following year, another Neutrality Act prohibited loaning money to belligerent countries. The Neutrality Act of 1937 further banned the transportation of weapons or passengers to nations at war on American ships and also prohibited American citizens from traveling on ships of warring nations. These acts were passed to keep America out of the war and avoid getting entangled in another conflict.
These acts reflected the American public's desire to stay out of the conflicts in Europe and Asia, especially in the aftermath of World War I.
The neutrality policy began to change with the passage of the Lend-Lease Act in 1941, which provided military aid to countries deemed vital to U.S. defense. The attack on Pearl Harbor later that year prompted the United States to fully enter World War II.