Day Of Infamy Speech Analysis

Roosevelt’s Day of Infamy speech, came to existence because on “December 7, 1941, Japanese hit Pearl Harbor with a surprise attack.” Japanese forces launched a massive bombardment on the Hawaiian Islands. On that same day they also attacked, Hong Kong, Guam, The Philippines, Wake, and Midway Island. Pearl Harbor was strategically important because it was there that US based its Pacific Fleet. Noteworthy, the attack left “2,335 military personnel dead.” Franklin D. Roosevelt faced the task of not only responding to the attack, but mustering the words to bring tranquility to the American people. On December 8, 1941 at 12:30 p.m., Roosevelt gave his Day of Infamy speech. Before doing so, Roosevelt rewrote his speech several times deciding what objective his language would be sending America. There were two drafts, the first one created on the evening of December 7, 1941, and a second one shortly before he approached the podium to address Congress. On draft No.1, Roosevelt changed “a date which will live in world

The speech is incredibly valuable because through its recording and written document, many of us historians and Americans can understand the events that took place during 1941. It gives a critical insight of what President Roosevelt was rationalizing after the bombings. His constant revisions of the speech signified his attempt to find the righteous words to express mourning, but also vengeance for what had just occurred. The exact words he uttered became a terrifying chapter for America, for what had occurred on this day, December 7, 1941 would be a dark day in history for the United States. It was a time where thousands of Americans lost their lives, by an enemy that we thought was inferior. The in-depth analysis of his tone and the way the Congress roared after the speech was a clear indicator that the American spirit was ready for war, but how and when would be the