Overview
- Brief Narrative
- America First pin encouraging the public to support American isolation regarding United States’ participation in World War II. After World War I (1914-1918), the public felt that the United States should stay out of future foreign wars. The government agreed, taking a new isolationist stance regarding national polices by reducing military forces, restricting immigration, and outlawing aggressive war. After the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, most Americans favored isolation over intervention. However, pro-Allies governmental policies and growing anti-fascist public sentiment began to shift opinions and groups supporting both intervention and isolation emerged. Many isolationist groups, such as the America First Committee (AFC), believed in the policy of “America First,” which dictated that Americans should stay out of the war. They believed that entanglements in European wars would weaken American independence, which was the foundation of America’s prosperity. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and America’s entry into the war, the isolationist movement subsided and the mainstream isolationist groups disbanded.
- Date
-
distribution:
before 1941 December
- Geography
-
distribution:
United States.
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Forrest J. Robinson, Jr.
- Markings
- front, printed, black ink : AMERICA / FIRST / LAST / AND / ALWAYS
Physical Details
- Language
- English
- Classification
-
Identifying Artifacts
- Category
-
Badges
- Object Type
-
Pin-back buttons (lcsh)
- Genre/Form
- Buttons (Information artifacts)
- Physical Description
- Circular, silver-colored metal pin depicting Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty in gray tones beside uppercase, black English text text, “America First Last and Always.” The image is printed on paper and covered by a plastic film, and a short, vertical pin is soldered to the back. The surface is discolored, and there is corrosion on the metal back.
- Dimensions
- overall: Height: 1.125 inches (2.858 cm) | Width: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm) | Depth: 0.125 inches (0.318 cm)
- Materials
- overall : metal, ink, paper, plastic
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- There are no known restrictions on access to this material.
- Conditions on Use
- To the best of the Museum's knowledge, there are no known copyright restrictions on the material(s) in this collection, or the material is in the public domain. You do not require further permission from the Museum to use this material.
Keywords & Subjects
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The pin-back button was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2022 by Forrest J."Jim" Robinson, Jr.
- Record last modified:
- 2024-03-19 08:24:23
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn740039
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Also in Jim Robinson collection
The collection consists of pin-back buttons, pamphlets, advertisements, handbills, and similar materials relating to American interest groups, organizations, and institutions expressing support or opposition to American involvement in World War II and a range of associated political and social groups.
Date: 1935-1943
Jim Robinson papers
Document
The collection consists of various types of documents dealing with American interest groups, organizations, and institutions expressing support or opposition to American involvement in World War II and a range of associated political and social groups. Brochure: van Paassen, Pierre. We shall no longer witness with pity alone . . . New York: Committee for a Jewish Army of Palestinian and Stateless Jews 1942. Four-panel brochure. Handbill: Who is this man? . . .He is a fifth columnist! Don’t trust him! New York: League for Human Rights, Freedom and Democracy 1941. Broadside: Bolshevists as War Mongers. Hamburg: Fichte Bund Association 1935. English Cartoon: Punch 1938. Nazi Oppression & Suppression [Kristallnacht] Advertisement: Boy Scouts of America, “Concentration Camp”—the American Way.” Handbill: McMullin, James. Jews started the war—Jews profit from the war—Let THEM do the fighting for the Bank of England. Keep America Neutral Committee, 1939. Reprint, Hollywood Citizen-News. Handbill: Lee, Arnold. A Message to Tradesmen: The Jewish Stranglehold. London: The Imperial Fascist League. Handbill: Jews Everywhere / The Vigilantes [undated] Handbill: Onward Jewish soldiers! [Los Angeles: Anti-Communist Federation of America, 1939]. Photographic copy print: black and white image of man speaking on telephone; captioned on verso “Bernard Ridder holds to his position”; International News Photo Pamphlet: Answers for Americans “The Say the Jews..”; dated 1941; University Religious Conference, Los Angeles, CA; inscription: “From ADL 1943” Pamphlet: “The Christian Front”; Villanova, Pa “Don’t look now boyz, but…” cartoon drawing of Hitler “drawn for Philco by Rollin Kirby” page from Colliers Magazine,
Nationalistic " I am for America First" Pin-back button
Object
America First pin encouraging the public to support American isolation regarding United States’ participation in World War II. After World War I (1914-1918), the public felt that the United States should stay out of future foreign wars. The government agreed, taking a new isolationist stance regarding national polices by reducing military forces, restricting immigration, and outlawing aggressive war. After the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, most Americans favored isolation over intervention. However, pro-Allies governmental policies and growing anti-fascist public sentiment began to shift opinions and groups supporting both intervention and isolation emerged. Many isolationist groups, such as the America First Committee (AFC), believed in the policy of “America First,” which dictated that Americans should stay out of the war. They believed that entanglements in European wars would weaken American independence, which was the foundation of America’s prosperity. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and America’s entry into the war, the isolationist movement subsided and the mainstream isolationist groups disbanded.
