Why did many Americans support isolationism before World War II?

American isolationism in the 1930s was a complex movement driven by diverse motivations rather than a single political agenda. Many Americans were preoccupied with the domestic hardships of the Great Depression, leading them to view European conflicts as distant and irrelevant concerns.12

Key factors fueling this sentiment included:

• Disillusionment with WWI: Many believed the U.S. had been manipulated into the previous war by arms merchants and bankers, a view reinforced by the Senate’s Nye Committee inquiries.1
• Policy Failures: There was a widespread sense that Woodrow Wilson’s internationalism had failed to secure lasting peace.12
• Ideological Concerns: Left-wing isolationists feared war would lead to fascism, while conservatives worried it would usher in socialism.1
• Pacifism and Revisionism: Some held deep-seated pacifist beliefs, while others were influenced by historical revisionism that challenged the idea of sole German responsibility for 1914.1
• Extremist Views: Some advocates, such as those in the America First Committee, promoted isolationism based on white supremacy and anti-Semitic rhetoric, arguing that the war was a "fraternal squabble" that should be avoided.3

These sentiments resulted in the Neutrality acts, which aimed to prevent U.S. involvement in foreign disputes.12