Final answer:
The Neutrality Act of 1935 was designed to prevent the United States from being drawn into international conflicts by banning the sale of armaments to warring nations and was part of a series of acts reinforcing US isolationism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Neutrality Act of 1935 was part of a series of legislation passed by the United States Congress aimed at preventing the nation from becoming entangled in overseas conflicts. The 1935 Act specifically banned the sale of armaments to warring nations in an effort to maintain US neutrality and avoid the circumstances that led to US involvement in World War I.
The intentions behind such acts were to insulate the United States from the growing tensions in Europe and Asia, mainly due to the aggressive actions of Germany under Hitler and Japan. Subsequent Neutrality Acts in 1936 and 1937 included provisions that prohibited loaning money to belligerent countries and restricted Americans from traveling on ships of nations at war, furthering the country's isolationist policy.
In response to escalating global conflicts, later amendments to the Neutrality Acts allowed for cash and carry provisions, which permitted the sale of weapons if the buying nation could pay cash and transport the materials themselves. These revisions sought to aid opponents of aggression while simultaneously boosting the US economy. However, these early Neutrality Acts were crucial in establishing a legal framework that aimed to prevent American involvement in another foreign war.