The Law of Lending and Leasing - An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States was a program under which the United States began to supply food, oil and military equipment to the United Kingdom, to the government in exile of Free France, to the Republic of China and later to the Soviet Union and other allied nations between 1941 and August 1945. Supplies included warships, warplanes and other weapons. It became law on March 11, 1941 and was repealed in September 1945. In general, the aid was free, although some equipment (such as ships) were returned after the end of the war. In exchange for the aid, the United States received the lease of military bases and naval bases in the territory of its allied countries during the war. This plan transformed the US into the great supplier of elements of war and as an armament power.
In 1968, during the Democratic National Convention held in Chicago, governors gathered to discuss, once again, the future of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
There were two opposing groups. On the one hand, the ones who didn't want the U.S. to continue participating in the War, led by Eugene McCarthy. On the oher hand, the winning side, who supported the war, led by Hubert Humphrey.
As a result, that same day outside the Convention, thousands of antiwar activists gathered to protest and to show their respect for McCarthy. But they were not alone, because Richard Dale, who was the Major of Chicago by then, deployed thousands of police officers to alleviate the situation. The event ended up in a complete disaster: people beating each other and getting hurt. Therefore, this episode is also known as "the Battle of Michigan"
The CPI is important for determining the changes in the prices paid by a urban consumers on a wide range of consumer goods. It gives a good sense of the fluctuation in pricing over a period of time.
