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US Actions regarding the Holocaust
Timeline of American Actions Regarding the Holocaust -
Johnson-Reed Act
The Johnson Reed Act was passed, setting quotas and limits on the amount of people from different countries or ethnic groups from immigrating to the United States. This act was not passed specifically to hinder Jewish immigration, however, it had that effect, making it harder for Jewish asylum seekers to escape to the United States to avoid genocide. -
Evian Conference
The United States calls an international conference to discuss European Jewish refugee quotas. The only country that increases quotas is the Dominican Republic -
Kristallnacht occurs
Kristallnacht occurs in Nazi Germany, signifying what many pinpoint as the true beginning of the Holocaust. After this event, pogroms get worse and deportations of the Jewish population to concentration camps accelerates. -
Wagner Rogers Bill
A bipartisan bill was drafted to allow 20,000 German Jewish refugee children seek asylum in the United States. This bill was wildly unpopular among the public and was never voted upon. -
Voyage of the Saint Louis
The St. Louis, a ship carrying nearly 1000 Jewish passengers seeking to flee Nazi persecution, was denied entry to US and Cuban ports, forcing it to travel back to Europe -
The US begins debating whether or not to bomb Auschwitz concentration camp
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Riegner Telegram
A telegram sent from by Dr. Riegner, a European diplomat detailing Hitler's plan to commit genocide against the Jewish population in Europe was sent to the US State Department, telling them to forward the message to Rabbi Stephen Wise, a prominent figure in the American Jewish Community. However, the State Department did not relay the telegrams message, leaving knowledge about the Holocaust still unbeknownst to most Americans -
War Refugee Board Created
The War Refugee Board was established due to the urging of then Treasury Secretary Morganthau. Morganthau believed that President Roosevelt was not doing enough to help European Jews and wanted to create a government organization that be better equipped to try to help the Jews facing genocide -
Fort Ontario opens as Jewish Safe Haven
Towards the end of the war, the United States allowed a small amount of refugees to come to the United States to escape Nazi Germany. Over a two year span, slightly under 1000 Jewish refugees were given asylum in Fort Ontario -
US decides to not Bomb Auschwitz
The United States, once again, failed to take preventative action regrading saving Jewish lives during the Holocaust. The military decided it was better to bomb military targets than to try to prevent more Jewish deaths inside Nazi concentration camps.