America First Committee
The America First Committee (AFC) was established on September 4, 1940, as a prominent organization opposing U.S. intervention in World War II. Founded by R. Douglas Stuart and Kingman Brewster, Jr., it quickly became a leading voice for noninterventionist policies, attracting notable figures such as Charles Lindbergh and Sinclair Lewis. By December 1941, the AFC had amassed over 800,000 members and more than 450 chapters, with its strongest support located in the Midwest. The organization sought to sway public opinion through various media and rallies, although it faced significant criticism for alleged anti-Semitism and accusations of being sympathetic to Nazi Germany.
Despite internal disagreements and challenges from both the press and the Roosevelt administration, the AFC remained influential in advocating for strict adherence to the Neutrality Acts and opposing initiatives like Lend-Lease. However, the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, marked a turning point, leading to the committee's disbandment as the United States entered the war. Ultimately, the AFC's efforts to prevent U.S. involvement were unsuccessful, and in 1942, it was identified as a channel for Nazi propaganda.
On this Page
America First Committee
Identification Noninterventionist pressure group
Date Established on September 4, 1940
The America First Committee was the largest pressure group opposed to U.S. intervention in World War II. It included a number of prominent businessmen, politicians, and religious leaders among its supporters. Many of these individuals, such as Charles Lindbergh and Norman Thomas, spoke at national rallies in support of nonintervention. The group was variously attacked as being anti-Semitic, communist, fascist, and anti-American.
Founded on September 4, 1940, the America First Committee (AFC) became the primary voice of opposition to U.S. intervention in World War II. The widespread concern over the role of the United States in the European war became the burning issue of the period. The organization was founded by R. Douglas Stuart, a Yale Law student, along with Kingman Brewster, Jr., editor of the Yale Daily News. It soon merged with the Keep America Out of the War Committee. Support for the noninterventionist policies of the organization attracted well-known and influential individuals such as Charles Lindbergh, Sinclair Lewis, Potter Stewart, and Gerald R. Ford. Others, such as John F. Kennedy, financially supported the organization. By December, 1941, it boasted of a membership exceeding 800,000, with more than 450 semiautonomous chapters and subchapters. The principal strength of the organization lay in the Midwest, primarily Illinois, where sixty chapters existed. The AFC initially refused to allow membership or accept donations from the German American Bund, communists, and anti-Semitic groups such as Father Charles E. Coughlin’s Christian Frontiers.
The organization evolved into the most influential pressure group in the country and attempted to influence public opinion through pamphlets, radio addresses, and public appearances by well-known speakers. Charles Lindbergh became the most popular speaker, drawing thousands to anti-intervention rallies. As a result, he was virulently attacked as a Nazi sympathizer, an anti-Semitic, and as anti-American. Lindbergh’s often radical statements alienated supporters such as Norman Thomas, the presidential nominee of the Socialist Party, who refused to appear at AFC rallies for a time.
As the organization continued to grow, it came under attack from the press and President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration. The AFC was accused of being helpful to the Nazis as well as being anti-Semitic. Ironically, the AFC had a number of Jewish members, some of whom served in leadership positions. In spite of these attacks, polls indicated that the majority of Americans opposed intervention. The AFC attempted to compel administration adherence to the Neutrality Acts. It opposed Lend-Lease and the Atlantic Charter and went so far as to propose that the question of war and peace be formally submitted for a congressional vote. Not a pacifist organization, the AFC advocated a strong national defense to prevent any European power from threatening the country. Some supporters, such as Thomas, objected to this position, which he labeled “armament economics.” Internal disagreements such as this accounted for the high turnover in both membership and leadership throughout 1940 and 1941.
Impact
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, ended the nonintervention debate. The AFC voted to disband immediately after the attack. In spite of its efforts and success in bringing the debate before the American public, the AFC was unsuccessful in preventing passage of Roosevelt’s initiatives. Ultimately, it was unable to prevent American entry into the war. In 1942, a grand jury identified the AFC as an organization that had been used to spread Nazi propaganda.
Bibliography
Coles, Wayne S. America First: The Battle Against Intervention, 1940-1941. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1953.
Lindbergh, Charles H. Autobiography of Values. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976.
Sarles, Ruth. A Story of America First: The Men and Women Who Opposed U.S. Intervention in World War II. Edited by Bill Kauffman. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2003.