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Teaching the Holocaust and other Genocides

Political Cartoon: "Believe It or Not!"

When war broke out in Europe in September 1939, antisemitic propaganda in the United States grew and depicted President Roosevelt as the product of an international Jewish conspiracy to save world Jewry and to bring destruction upon America.

Believe it or not

"Believe It or Not!" Published c. 1938-1941

Short Answer Questions

1. What is one historical circumstance that led to the publication of this political cartoon?

2. Based on the cartoon, what is the relationship between President Roosevelt and American Jews?

3. How does this view compare with FDR’s actions in previous documents?

Sources

Franklin D. Roosevelt, Papers as President: The President’s Personal File, Part 12: PPF 5501-6000, 1933-1945 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum. (2025). Marist.edu. http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/archives/collections/franklin/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=564