LaGrange High School Football Program, October 13, 1944, when they played Newnan High School during WWII. The pilot on the cover of this program symbolizes the country’s support for its servicemen and women. The 1930s was a difficult decade, not just in the United States, but worldwide. The Depression was sparked by numerous economic factors, in addition to human miscalculations. The lack of oversight of the American banking system, along with the belief that a tariff might improve the country’s economy, were examples of miscalculations that brought about this economic cataclysm. Around the world, autocratic rulers, using techniques so familiar to American life today, were beginning to ruthlessly suppress democracy. In many cases, the Depression helped this along. The Italians, Spanish, Germans, Russians, Brazilians, Nicaraguans, Japanese, and most of the countries of Eastern Europe stood out in this regard. Simultaneously, reacting to World War I, Americans wanted to remain aloof from what was happening globally. They most certainly wanted to avoid any more foreign wars. The word was isolationism. Yet, to his credit, Franklin Roosevelt saw what was happening, and did his best to prepare the United States for the coming storm. He was especially concerned about the Nazi regime and walked a veritable tightrope between what he believed needed to be done and what Congress would allow him to do. Congress passed the Selective Training and Service Act in 1940 in response to the…
*This content (including text, artwork, graphics, photography, and video) was provided by the third party(ies) as referenced above. Any rights or other content questions or inquiries should be directed to such third-party provider(s).
