In his fireside chats during World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the term “arsenal of democracy” to describe the United States’ role in providing weapons to democracies fighting to defend themselves.
Roosevelt called on the nation to stand up and, as the “arsenal of democracy,” unite in producing vast stocks of weaponry to aid Europe. During that time, American manufacturing played the pivotal role in producing helmets, tanks, trucks and nearly every piece of equipment critical to the Allied forces.
