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How Did Pearl Harbor Affect America

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Pearl Harbour has always played an important role in the US since it was home of an American naval base. In the World War II context, it was unexpectedly attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service on the morning of December 7, 1941. The devastating foreign offensive caused numerous deaths as well as important damages to the US naval and air strength and it came as a profound shock to American people (Bay, 2001). As a result, the United States declared war to Japan, which followed their official entry in World War II a few days later (Kerrison, 2018).

The event did not only leave a mark in American history but also, as the shocking moment it was, its impact was visible in many other aspects of American society. Before the attack, the war that was going on in Europe was seen as something that had nothing to do with the US. Americans did not expect their involvement at all. However, once the Pearl Harbor attack took place, war became an important matter in American attitudes to the point of becoming ‘their culture’. The war effort became the household reality (Morella, 2012).

On the one hand, among …show more content…

When the U.S joined the war against the Axis, she became the defender of liberty, democracy and humanity and she suddenly saw herself as the leader of the ‘Free World’. This leadership is still visible to this day as America is one of the most important military and industry powers in the world. As well as that, the alliance she was part of encouraged a close relationship with Great Britain which has been very present throughout the centuries. Also, it provided “a burst of good will” towards the U.S that is still present nowadays. As the former Senator Bob Dole said, people know what America did for them during the war and its high number of casualties they suffered by doing so, which makes them love the country for that (Shribman,

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