DECLARATION OF WAR
ROOSEVELT'S REACTION TO THE ATTACK
One day after the shocking attack at Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. All members of congress agreed to declare war except for ONE dissenter (person who disagrees with a popular opinion).
To this day, there are Americans who believe in a conspiracy theory that Roosevelt knew about the Japanese plan to attack. The theory goes that Roosevelt would sacrifice American lives and provide the attack as a reason to enter the war.
"Conspiracy theories, half-truths and full-on lies are getting new attention as they appear alongside real news and information on social networks- but that's nothing new. The official investigations into the Japanese attack started in the 1940s, and even now, each time new documents become available, a headline pops up asking whether Roosevelt allowed it" (NPR.org).
Roosevelt biographer Jean Edward Smith says that the president "was totally caught off guard by it...the record is clear. There was no evidence of the Japanese moving toward Pearl Harbor that was picked up in Washington". It's possible that the White House might have expected some type of attack elsewhere.
To this day, there are Americans who believe in a conspiracy theory that Roosevelt knew about the Japanese plan to attack. The theory goes that Roosevelt would sacrifice American lives and provide the attack as a reason to enter the war.
"Conspiracy theories, half-truths and full-on lies are getting new attention as they appear alongside real news and information on social networks- but that's nothing new. The official investigations into the Japanese attack started in the 1940s, and even now, each time new documents become available, a headline pops up asking whether Roosevelt allowed it" (NPR.org).
Roosevelt biographer Jean Edward Smith says that the president "was totally caught off guard by it...the record is clear. There was no evidence of the Japanese moving toward Pearl Harbor that was picked up in Washington". It's possible that the White House might have expected some type of attack elsewhere.
RESPONSE OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
If Pearl Harbor helped Americans in any way, it taught them they could not avoid war by trying to remain neutral. The American people supported their president over the next 3.5 years even though he asked them to make sacrifices in order to win the war. Eight million Americans contributed by serving in the armed forces; 322,000 died. Young men prepared to be drafted right after high school; many voluntarily left school before graduation to fight for their country. Women volunteered for the WACS (Women's Army Corps) and the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). Wealthy Americans accepted a steep rise in income taxes that topped 94 percent in the highest bracket.
Civilians helped by planting victory gardens, collecting paper and scrap metal for recycling, using their savings to buy war bonds, and working long hours in defense plants. Women volunteered their time at service organizations and took jobs at factories and shipyards to produce wartime products. Celebrities entertained the troops. All families needed ration cards to buy limited amounts of most food and gasoline, and prices were strictly controlled by the OPA (Office of Price Administration).
For the American economy, the war meant a complete end of the Great Depression. Unemployment rates fell to 1 percent of those seeking work. Most of the newly created jobs were in the defense industry. Businesses making cars, washing machines, etc. quickly retooled to make planes, tanks, ships, guns and other goods needed by the armed services. By the time the war was over, the US had produced 274,000 planes, 85,000 ships, and 100,000 tanks or armed vehicles. These products not only met the needs for the armed forces but served as an "arsenal for democracy" for America's allies.
It is impossible to cover even a small part of what life was like for most Americans during the war. This section provides only a few snapshots, one showing the lives of women, another focusing on wartime rationing. The next page will look at efforts to prevent sabotage by Japanese Americans at the cost of their liberty.
Civilians helped by planting victory gardens, collecting paper and scrap metal for recycling, using their savings to buy war bonds, and working long hours in defense plants. Women volunteered their time at service organizations and took jobs at factories and shipyards to produce wartime products. Celebrities entertained the troops. All families needed ration cards to buy limited amounts of most food and gasoline, and prices were strictly controlled by the OPA (Office of Price Administration).
For the American economy, the war meant a complete end of the Great Depression. Unemployment rates fell to 1 percent of those seeking work. Most of the newly created jobs were in the defense industry. Businesses making cars, washing machines, etc. quickly retooled to make planes, tanks, ships, guns and other goods needed by the armed services. By the time the war was over, the US had produced 274,000 planes, 85,000 ships, and 100,000 tanks or armed vehicles. These products not only met the needs for the armed forces but served as an "arsenal for democracy" for America's allies.
It is impossible to cover even a small part of what life was like for most Americans during the war. This section provides only a few snapshots, one showing the lives of women, another focusing on wartime rationing. The next page will look at efforts to prevent sabotage by Japanese Americans at the cost of their liberty.
Sources:
(1) http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roosevelt-asks-congress-to-declare-war-on-japan
(2) http://www.npr.org/2016/12/06/504449867/no-fdr-did-not-know-the-japanese-were-going-to-bomb-pearl-harbor
(1) http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roosevelt-asks-congress-to-declare-war-on-japan
(2) http://www.npr.org/2016/12/06/504449867/no-fdr-did-not-know-the-japanese-were-going-to-bomb-pearl-harbor