Pearl Harbor Day

​Pearl Harbor Day

By Sara Begian

December 7, 1941...84 years ago

Pearl Harbor

84 years ago today, one of the worst attacks on our nation occurred. Lives were lost and our military had received a major blow.

Essential Questions:

1. What happened on December 7, 1941?

2. Why were we attacked?

3. How does the idea of Checks and Balances relate to this event?

The damage was very intense!

Multiple Choice

Where did this attack take place?

• California

• Hawaii

• Washington, D.C.

Why Pearl Harbor, Hawaii?

-The U.S. Pacific Fleet had been stationed there since April 1940!

1. 100 Naval Vessels!

2. 8 Battleships!

3. Heavy Airforce Presence as well!

-The Japanese saw this as an opportunity for them to strike at the heart of our military and HOPEFULLY keep us from entering the war.
- They did not have the goal of taking over the United States as some people feared at the time.

-Admiral Husband Kimmel warned that an attack was imminent and that negotiations with the Japanese had broken down, but no other real action was taken to deter an attack from taking place.

​-Let's watch a video about the attack!

​Husband Kimmel

As we can see, us cutting oil from them proved to be a major factor in their attack on the United States.

​

​Oil Embargo

Multiple Choice

Why would they choose a Sunday morning to attack the United States?

• 
  People would be less prepared because it was a Sunday!

• 
  They didn't think they were strong enough to attack any other day!

• That's when Germany had told them to attack.

​What happened that day?

First attacks happened at around 7:55 AM. The Japanese used almost 200 aircraft to carry out this attack. At the conclusion:

• 180 aircraft were destroyed

• Many battleships were destroyed or heavily damaged.

• Anti-Aircraft crews were hardly prepared and at times were left helpless against the attacking Japanese.

​

​What happened?

-The second wave of attacks happened around 8:50 am.

-While it was not as devastating as the first, the Japanese were still able to inflict damage to the fleet.

​What happened?

-In all, about 2,400 people were killed in the attack.
-Countless others went down in the ships and many remained trapped.
-Japan only lost 29 out of 60 aircraft that were used.

-The element of surprise definitely worked for them, at least in this attack.

Multiple Choice

What does it mean to have a system of Checks and Balances?

• 
  The President only makes decisions.

• 
  The branches of government work together to make decisions.

• 
  If the President vetoes something, he's always right.

FDR Addresses Congress the next day!

​Checks and Balances

-Despite overwhelming support at this point, President Roosevelt had to ask for a Declaration of war from Congress.
-He addressed them via a speech on December 8, 1941, the day after the attack!

-In all, the vote to enter the war was 388 in favor and only 1 against!
-Ironically, the woman that voted against the war was Jeanette Rankin, who voted against World War I.

​Checks and Balances

-She lost her seat after voting against that war and did not run for re-election two years later in 1942.

-“As a woman I can't go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else.” 
-Following the vote, she was forced to shelter in a phone booth while awaiting police escort to her office.

-Let's hear Franklin Delano Roosevelt ask for the declaration of war. 

​Checks and Balances

As we saw, the system of Checks and Balances worked here and really wasn't challenged.

1. Franklin Roosevelt asked for a Declaration of War.

2. Congress approved the measure overwhelmingly.

3. He signed the measure, making it official.

4. The United States now was actively at war.

​War Declared!

Multiple Choice

What was the primary goal of the Japanese with their attack?

• 
  To take over the United States

• 
  To show the world they were the best of the Axis Powers

• 
  To damage our Navy enough so that they could continue expanding in the Pacific

Multiple Choice

In response to the attack taking place, what did President Franklin Roosevelt do?

• 
  Asked for a Declaration of War against Japan

• 
  By Executive Order, sent troops to the Pacific to fight

• 
  Got really scared and thought the U.S. was about to be taken over.

Open Ended

What came next after Congress granted the President's Declaration of War by a vote of 388 to 1?

Open Ended

Did the system of Checks and Balances work here? Why or why not?

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