Relive your history every night, American History tv on cspan3. Each week American History tvs american artifacts visits museums and historic places. Welcome to the u. S. Holocaust memorial museum. Im daniel greene. We decided on our 25th anniversary to look closely at americans role in the history. That goes back to our founding charter. Which mandated that the museum look closely as americans role in this history. In fact, on the day we opened, the chairman of the board at the time said, this museum is not an answer. Its a question. What we wanted to do in this exhibition is ask difficult questions about americans response to naziism. The questions that frame this exhibition are, what did americans know and what more could have been done . You will see throughout the exhibition that what we try to do is show the context of American History that shaped americans responses to naziism. That context includes our isolationism in the aftermath of world war i. Xenophobia, fear of immigrants, racism, jim crow america, antisemitism in the United States, the height of antisemitism in the United States. Then were responding to naziism amidst the context of the Great Depression and war. So in this exhibition, were always trying to keep that context front and center in visitors minds. Opting film shows the context. United states between 1918 and 1932. What you see is americans response to world war i. Veterans on the street. Americans mourning at graves of fallen soldiers. You see the context of the United States being relatively closed to immigrants with nationaling origin quotas bein made. You see the rise of the second ku klux klan in the 1920s as well as jim crow america. All of these things are precursors to the nazis rise to power in 1933. What you see is the preconditions that are foundational to america in the period that will shape our early responses to naziism. One of the myths we wanted to bust was the idea that americans didnt have information about the threat of naziism. In the 1930s and 1940s. Later on in the exhibition, you will see that americans had a good deal of information about the murder of jews as it was happening. Early on, americans are very interested in the rise of this new world leaderer hitler. We show magazines from 1932, 33, 34 at the beginning of the nazi regime where you see hitler on the cover of time and news week. This is particularly fascinating. Thats joseph gerbles 1933. Theres a 3,000 word article in this magazine covers nazi germ an germany. What you see is, say it in your dreams, the jews are to blame. Americans who were picking up magazines like this could have read about the rise of fascism in germany. Whats not hidden here is the fact that antisemitism is essential to nazi ideology. This doesnt mean that americans could have predicted in 1933 that mass murder is to come by the 1940s. But its also it doesnt allow us to say, we didnt know. We cant let americans of the 1930s off the hook that easily. We wanted to tell in the exhibition a lot of individual stories. Here were showing part of the media landscape, american magazines. Then an individual story about do dorothy thompson. Shes the First American journalist expelled from nazi ge germany. She interviewed hitler before he rose to power. And wrote a book in america called i saw hitler. It gets excerpts in cosmopolitan. Were showing that issue. Thompson gets many things right. She says, antisemitism is the life and soul of hitlers movement. The nazis lose no opportunity to insult the jews. She also says that theres no way that this guy can become chancellor of germany. She sees that antisemitism is essential to nazi ideology. She cant imagine in 1931 that he will become chancellor of germany. This is a good representation of how americans thought about hitler early on. Some of them saw real danger. And understood his appeal to germans at the time. But others thought that theres no way that he would last. You see both of those things in thompsons article. One the most interesting projects the Museum Launched years before the exhibition, 2 1 2 years before the expedition opened is called history unfolded. Its a crowd sourced website where we asked students and history buffs throughout the country to go into their local newspapers, their nondigitized newspapers and look for coverage of naziism. What we found is that americans across the country could have had access to a lot of information about the threat of naziism. Citizen historians have uploaded more than 15,000 articles to our website. We put a number of them here on this interactive map. Visitors can touch on any state and see, for example, here is an article from indianapolis. In september of 1935. Front page news there is coverage of the nuremberg laws. Nasd nazis pass decrees against jews. I will show you one more from nevada that speaks to an interesting challenge that we thought about as we were putting together this exhibition. This is a reno, nevada, paper. March 27th of 33. They are reporting on the fact that einstein is renouncing his citizenship and that he wont return to germany. If you look over two columns also you see this article. Mistreatment of jews ends. There had been no stories about persecution of jews for a week coming out of nazi germany. The secretary of state says we may consider physical mistreatment of jews virtually terminated. That speaks to one of the challenges of the exhibition is to get visitors to read history forward. We know the end of the story. We know that naziism would lead to mass murder of 6 million jews and millions of others. Americans in the 1930s had no idea that was coming. So thats one of the challenges that we tried to address throughout the exhibition is to get people to read history as it was happening. Thats one of the reasons you see such a chronological treatment in this exhibition. Early on, some communities took to the streets against naziism. You see here rallies in 1933 across the United States condemning the nazi regime. You will see marches by jewish communities, labor organizations in philadelphia, cleveland, new york, chicago, boston. There are rallies. There are protests. There are movements to boycott germanmade goods. You see a lot in this case some of the boycott material. Stamps that you would affix to letters to show that you wanted that you supported boycotting germanmade goods or fighting communism, fascism and naziism. Buttons showing your support of a cause for boycotting nazi germany or matchbooks saying for humanity sake, dont buy german goods. There are antinazi actions in the spring of 1933. Many led by this man, rabbi steven wise. This is a mass rally at Madison Square garden in march of 1933. What you dont see you see individual actions. You see rallies. You see protests. You dont see a sustained anti Nazi Movement that takes hold in the United States. We also wanted to look at how the u. S. Government reacts early on. The u. S. Government has representatives in nazi germany. This man is aware its a favorite pastime to attack jews. They are receiving petitions asking the government to make some kind of statement against naziism. Many of the petitions actually are not clear about what theyre asking for. They just want some kind of antinazi declaration by the u. S. Government. When fdr sends this man, william dodd over to germany to be the ambassador in 1933, he tells dodd that the German Authorities are treating jews shamefully. He tells them, this is not a governmental affair. What fdr means by that this is something that dodd wrote in his diary. It was as told to by fdr. What we think i think what dodd thought that fdr meant by that is that its our job its his job to respect Germanys National sovereignty. The story that were telling in this part of the exhibition is actually about multiple attacks on americans by the sa. This is a New York Times piece covering dozens after tacks s this is a New York Times piece covering dozens after tacks of 1933. During dodds first meeting with hitler in october of 1933, item number one on the agenda for dodd is to say the sa has to stop attacking american citizens on the street. The United States government at the time thinks its outside their purview to try to protect the citizens of another nation. Of course they know that jews are being persecuted there are attacks on jews. Political opponents and others are being rounded up and sent to the first concentration camp. Thats well reported in the american press. The u. S. Government doesnt speak out about that during this early period. One of the ways we wanted to get at the question of what was on all americans minds or one way we decided to get ot whatat tha use Public Opinion polling throughout the exhibition. Gallop and other organizations are actively polling americans by the 1930s. We use polls like this throughout the exhibition to show americans concerns at home, later on you will see many polls that ask americans opinion about whether we should let in refugees. By the end of the exhibition, gallop is polling in 1942, 1943, 1944 asking americans whether they believe the stories of the atrocities coming out of nazi germany and europe. So here early on, whats on americans minds in november of 1936 is deep concern about our own economy. The depths of the depression are on all americans minds at this point. You will see over here a poll that speaks to american isolationism, americans are asked whether it was a whether they think it was a mistake for the United States to enter world war i. You see 70 of americans say yes. This was one of the ways we tried to get at the extent of our economic fears and their isolati isolationism. There are in the depths of this depression, 25 of americans are out of work, so much of whats going on in the United States in the early mid 1930s is about economic recovery. I think that prevents americans from looking abroad as much as they might have. Fdrs first term, 1933 to 1937, is so much about trying to lift the country out of the depression through the new deal. And Foreign Policy concerns are not the priority at that point. There are a few moments where americans do Pay Attention and even debate a proper response to nazi germany. One of those moments is the question of whether they had you go to the Olympic Games, whether we should send a team to the Olympic Games in berlin in the summer of 1936. Americans debate this for a couple months at the throughout 1935. You see this Public Opinion poll in 1935 worded a little confusingly. Should american refuse to participate in the Olympic Games which are to be held in germany this coming year . We produced these polls as they were asked at the time. Here you see 43 of americans saying, we should refuse to participate. In effect, 43 saying we should boycott the games and 57 saying we should go. The people who get caught in the middle largely in this debate are africanamerican athletes. There had been africanamerican athletes participating in the 1932 games in los angeles. But theres 18 africanamerican athletes on the team in 1936. Here you are seeing jesse owens, who will win four gold medals in berlin in august of 1936. And ralph metcalf, a medal winner in 1936. The news writes an open letter to jesse owens and other athletes saying if they want to strike a blow against racism at home, they have to protest against hitlerism by not going to the games. What you see both within africanamerican communities, Jewish American communities is a divide about how to respond to naziism, about the proper way to respond. Some like this newspaper says you have to fight racism abroad by making this protest statement. Owens and other athletes and others in the Africanamerican Community say the best way to protect naziism is to go over and win medals and disprove their theories of aryan superiority. Of course, it doesnt work out that way. Owens wins medals as do many of the africanamerican athletes. What you see is that the nazi Propaganda Machine has an explanation. They easily say, some version of, well, of course, africanamerican athletes won. They are closer to animals. Animals are faster than humans. The nazi Propaganda Machine can spin anything that happens to serve their propaganda aims. The loudest voice for participation is this man avery brundage, the head of the American Olympic committee who will later be the head of the International Olympic committee. He is still serving in the 1970s when theres the tragedy at munich in the International Olympic committee. Brundage has some deeply held antisemitic ideas. What he argues is that radicals and communists are trying to keep their trying to encourage this boycott. Thats his coded language for jews pushing a boycott. Brundage ultimately wins the day. He goes over to germany to inspect and to check whether jewish athletes are being treated fairly under the nazi regime. Brundage doesnt speak german. He is never allowed to talk to an athlete without a nazi official present. He finds what he wants to find, which is that as he argues, jewish athletes are being treated fairly. Certainly, they werent. Some of the nazis earliest policies were to segregate jews. Jews couldnt swim in pools. Jews couldnt train at Athletic Clubs with nonjews. That affects jewish athletes who could have qualified for the 1936 olympics. We try to round out the media landscape by showing American News reels here. During the depression, americans went to the movies. Movies were relatively cheap. You could sit there all day. Before the movies, you would watch digests of the news of the week. What were showing in some of these news reels is the extent of american isolationism in the 1930s. Americans stay out of conflicts with italys invasion of ethiopia. They stay out of china and the war between china and japan. Were seeing here in some of the news reels the extent of anti immigrai antiimmigrant sentiment in the United States. Our unemployment problem was transferred from foreign land. If we refused admission to the 16,500,000 foreign born, there would be no serious unemployment problem to harass us. The 1930s in the United States are arguably the height of antisemitism here in the 20th century. Some historians estimate that theres 100 new antisemitic organizations founded in the 1930s. One of the people who gives voice to this is father charles coglin, the radio priest out of detroit. You see him in a popular way ranting against jewish communism, questioning the american loyalty of jews and others. You see that in some of the newsreel footage we show in the exhibition. New york turns out 18,000 strong for a glimpse of detroits famous radio father. I ask you in the name of christianity which abhors communism, in the name of patriotism which loved america to carry it on to victory, i ask you if you will rise in your places and pledge with me to restore america to the americans. There is some support for nazis within the United States. Especially among organizations like the german american bund. This man who fashions himself as the american fuhrer. They are supporting the nazi party in germany. This application for membership of the german american bund asks people to verify, to declare as it says on this the last line here, i am of aryan origin, free from jewish or colored blood. The story were telling here is about the bund trying to set up summer camps across the United States. Hitler youthstyle summer camps across the United States. One town of southberry, connecticut, that stands up against the german american bund. They dont want it in their town. Every resident in the town got this flyer in their mailbox asking them whether they want the swastika thrust upon them or thrust upon you. Ultimately, the residents of this tiny town are able to keep the bund out in large part due to the efforts of reverend lindsey. A congregationalist minister in southberry who gives a stirring antinazi sermon thanksgiving weekend of 1937. This is the sermon and his typewriter where he calls naziism an antichristian menace. He describes naziism as agents of the antichrist. Argues that the residents need to keep nazis out because naziism is unchristian and unamerican. The point there is that for americans in the 1930s, they werent always understanding naziism or often werent primarily understanding naziism as a threat to jews. They were seeing it as a threat to sdemsy. Democracy. The next session is how americans responded to a refugee crisis. Things change in 1938. The nazis invade austria in march of 1938. They start to take over parts of czechoslovakia. For americans, americans realize that nazis have greater territorial ambitions beyond germany. By november of 1938, you have a nationwide violent attack off jews across germany and the former austria. That is arguably the biggest story about naziism in this 12year period. Historians have talked about the paper walls that kept immigrants out. We were very motivated or very interested in a letter that Albert Einstein write to Eleanor Roosevelt in 1941. Einstein said, your government has erected a wall of bureaucratic measures to keep immigrants out. Cant you do something . This paper wall this is our take on this paper wall. What you see is items from the museums collection, ship tickets, passports, letters of sponsorship from refugee organizations, affidavits of americans guaranteeing their support for or sponsorship for immigrants. All of these things that all this paperwork that immigrants potential immigrants had to line up to make it to the United States. Were operating under this immigration quota system. Theres no special provision for refugees in the 1930s who are fleeing persecution. Anyone who wants to make it out of nazi germany needs to navigate the immigration system. Its difficult bureaucratically. Its also quite expensive to do. You see here all of these examples from our collection of individuals trying to navigate the immigration system and what they the paperwork they needed to line up in order to do it. As i said, crystal nacht is the biggest story. You see newspapers showing headlines from november of 1938. The los angeles examiner says nazis warn world jews will be wiped out unless evacuated by democrat sa democracies. You see a full page spread twopage spread in life in november of 1938. Americans are shocked by this nationwide attack on jews where thousands of jews are rounded up and sent to concentration camps. Nearly 100 are murdered in shops and synagogues across the country are destroyed. Fdr speaking out about it in the aftermath of the attack. This is his handwritten speech that he gave the week after. He has written on the bottom in his own hand, i myself could scarily believe such things could occur in the 20th century civilization. Fdr does speak out. The United States recalls the ambassador to germany for consultation. In many other ways, our government response is limited and fdrs response is limited. He is asked in a press conference just a week, november 15th of 1938, whether he would recommend a relaxation of immigration restrictions. As you see, fdr says thats not in contemplation. We have the quota system. He speaks out. He recalls the ambassador actually at the urging of his secretary of labor, francis perkins. He extends the or waives the exploration date on visitor visas. Theres no political will to try to liberalize the immigration system, the quota system in response. Congress tries in a way. What you see is robert wagner, a senator from new york, and edith Norris Rogers introduce a bill known as the wagnerrogers bill, to let in 10,000 jewish children a year. Outside of the immigration quota system. What you see is the American Public is polled about this in 1939. Should we be letting in refugee children from germany outside of the quota system . You see that twothirds of americans are against letting in refugee children. Eleanor roos svel Eleanor Roosevelt is a champion of this bill. She says other countries are taking their share of the children and we should, too. She actually writes this telegram to fdr asking him if he is going to speak out whether she should speak about it . Fdr responds, all right for you to support child refugee bill but its best for me to say nothing. He never does speak out on behalf of this bill. The owe poe nepponents of the b led by Robert Reynolds from north carolina. Its democratic white souther r southerners who are anti immigratii antiimmigration. He argues that American Children have their own problems. We need to take care of American Children before we take care of foreign children. The contrast between these two polls is at the heart of the embie exhibition. There is november of 1938. Americans are asked what they think. Do you approve or disapprove of the nazi treatment of jews in germany . 94 of americans disapprove. That same week then they are asked, should we allow a larger number of exiles in . You see 71 of americans say no. Thats one of the these essential questions, one of the difficult questions we wanted to get in this exhibition is, why is there a gap between disapproval and a will to action on behalf of the victims . What you see here, a graphic representation of the immigration system in the United States. Year by year, were showing between 1933 and 1941 how many immigration visas could have been issued to People Living under nazi germany. Each person represents 1,000 visas that could been issues in gray. Then what you see in gold is the number of visas that actually were issued. One of the essential questions for this exhibition, of course, is what more could have been done. Certainly, more could have been done under existing law to issue the number of visas that were allowed under existing law. We hope visitors will ask, why werent these visas issued . Theres no simple singular explanation. Certainly, the extent of the Great Depression matters. Theres a lot of rhetoric in the public about fear of immigrants taking jobs from americans. The depths of antisemitism in the United States certainly matter. A lack of government will from the white house all the way down to admit immigrants. So you see here, if you added up all the unused visas, you are talking about nearly 120,000 visas that could have been issued that werent during this period. Then what you see on the floor on the wall and wrapping down to the floor is the waiting list year by year. Each suitcase represents 5,000 people on the waiting list. In 1933, you have a threeyear waiting list to get an immigration visa. By 1940, the waiting list for germany alone, just for the country of germany alone is over 300,000. That represents an 11year waiting list for foreign immigration visa. Assuming that all visas would be issued, which in every year except for one they werent. On this interactive table, we tell the stories of nine different individuals who are trying to make it out of nazicontrolled europe. The americans who try to sponsor them. Were trying to show how this immigration system, how this restrictive immigration system influenced real people. You see one of the stories we tell on the table is of otto frank, anne franks father trying to make his way to get visas for his wife and his two daughters. This story of herda shows the limits or the challenges for people trying to immigrate. Shes a 7yearold girl in vienna in 1940. Her father passed away. Its just her and her mother. She has no siblings. Her mother decides in 1940 to send herda under the care of jewish childrens aid, an organization trying to help jewish children, alone as an unaccompanied child to the United States to be fostered by a family. He see her and her mother and a dress from the museums collection that herdas mother made for her. She has to collect paperwork just like any other immigrant. Her birth certificate here where she has to shes forced by the nazis at all jewish girls and women were to add the middle name sarah to make them more identifiable as juews. She collects her passport where shes listed as stateless in her passport because the nazis have taken away her citizenship. Herda ultimately makes it on a ship from lisbon, without her mother, under the care of the childrens aid to a family in baltimore. You see her with her foster fami family. Her mother did not have a sponsor in the United States. Is ultimately deported in the east in 1942 and murdered. Herda had been part of a Jewish School class. This is a picture of the class either from 1939 or 1940. As far as we know, two girls from this class survived the holocaust. What you see on this interactive table is how this restrictive immigration system influenced real people and how american those americans who made the decision to try to sponsor refugees, the challenging bureaucracy that they had to navigate. We also show here stories of individual americans who took extraordinary risks to try to rescue individual jews or masses of jews. These are outliers. Risked their lives at times or pushed the boundaries of the law or even broke the law to aid refugees. One story we tell is of a couple from philadelphia, gilbert and eleanor krause. They decide in 1939 to go to vienna, to try to rescue 50 children. They get affidavits of sponsorship from people in their own community in philadelphia. They work in conjunction with the state department. There is some resistance there. They ultimately go to vienna with their pediatrician from philadelphia and convince parents to put children in their care. They foster 50 children and bring them back to philadelphia. What were showing here is some americans who took these extraordinary risks and to think about what was in the realm of the possible. They are rescuing the children as congress is unwilling to pass a bill to aid refugee children. Sometimes what the actions that individual americans take can have much more impact or impact individuals in a different way as the government is failing to take action on behalf of refugees. In the first half of the exhibition, you are looking at the early years, before world war ii begins. You are looking at 1933 to 1939. Were trying to ask some enduring questions in the exhibition. What do americans know about naziism early on . How do they respond to the collapse of a democracy . Then especially in this section of the exhibition, how are americans debating their responsibility to respond to this refugee crisis . What actions are individual americans trying to take . How are some trying to sponsor refugees . What is the government doing or not doing on behalf of refugees . Theres a shift once europe goes to war in september of 1939 after germany invades poland. Americans are going to be their reluctance to let in refugees remains. But now they are going to start debating should we go to war. This was the first of a twopart look at americans and the holocaust. Part two examines the response to nazi persecution of jews and the holocaust between 1939 and 1945. You are watching a special edition of American History tv. During the week while members of congress are in their districts due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tonight, we focus on sandra day oconnor, the first woman justice to serve on the u. S. Supreme court. Starting at 8 00 p. M. Eastern, justices reflect on the legacy of san da day oconnor. Enjoy American History tv now and over the weekend. On cspan3. Da day oconnor. Enjoy American History tv now and over the weekend. On cspan3. 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