Pearl Harbor – Address to the Nation

In the United States back in 1941, the nation was already under stress. The nation survived the baby boom, but also just suffered the “Great Depression” which led American’s to being on their toes. The United States thirty-second president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was elected for a third term in 1940. After a horrible decade; the Great Depression, Baby Boom, the Race Riots in Chicago and the Holocaust occurring in Germany, the United States was very permissive. In the year 1941, President Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act, which in turn allows the United States to aid allies in military supplies.

On December 7th, 1941 a horrible even took place on Pearl Harbor, which is the Naval Base for the U. S. Pacific Fleet, which is located on southern coast of Oahu, Hawaii. The Japanese suddenly attacked the United States. On that cold December 7th day in 1941, Pearl Harbor was at it’s usual pace. From flying aircrafts to sailing military ships. Then the Japanese aircraft planes launched bombers and torpedoes on Pearl Harbor. There were three separate waves executed for conquer against Pearl Harbor. Although the attack was unexpected at that time. All the facts were presented in a timely manner.

In which the actions of the US military when they stopped shipments of airplanes, machine tools, parts, and aviation gasoline from China. The Japanese saw this as a hostile act. After the attacks from the Japanese the rises in fatalities was devastating to the Americans. About 2,402 military personnel were killed, 57 civilians killed, 1,247 military wounded, and 35 civilians wounded. This was the start of World War II. After the attacks on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt performed a speech to the American’s that he was called Pearl Harbor Address To the Nation, given on December 8th, 1941.

This announcement was published in the United States under the watchful eye of the President, his cabinet members and the people of congress. The potential audience for this argument is the people of America. This is because one the attack occurred on US soil, two it would affect everyone as a whole nation, and three many people were involved in the military. FDR first gave a speech to Congress to declare war with Japan, and then later presented the speech with Congress by his side.