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The Negative Impact Of America's Attack On Pearl Harbor

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The attack on Pearl Harbor struck fear and anger into the people of the U.S. Almost immediately after the attack, Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. Suddenly, our national security was questioned and chaos erupted on the West Coast. Citizens in the continental United States thought that the Japanese would attack them next. Focused on revenge, racial tensions mounted towards Japanese-Americans. The unprovoked attack united the American people so intensely that over the next several years, the rest of the world watched as the U.S. became a global superpower. The remarkable transformation came at a tremendous cost; one that we should never forget. Japan and the U.S. had been edging towards war …show more content…

Recruitment advertisements went up everywhere; bathrooms, stores, yards, cars, etc. Many shipyard workers went to Pearl Harbor to help rebuild the fleet. On the West Coast, civilians prepared for an invasion. According to Real Clear History, “How U.S. Prepared for Japanese invasion”, all of the Pacific Coast governors called for calm as the people prepared for whatever events related to the war that the U.S. had now entered. Regardless of the governor's pleas, chaos erupted when blackouts were issued throughout the cities fearful of enemy bombings. Radio stations were shut down and traffic on major bridges were cut off. Police and Firemen were constantly driving through the streets warning people to seek shelter and turn off any lights seen as they drove by. On December 9, the government gave the “all clear” to the West Coast and the blackouts were cancelled, radio stations set back up, and the traffic allowed back on the bridges. An attempted attack was confirmed overnight. In fact, an enemy squadron was apparently reported near the Golden Gate Bridge but it turned around and headed southwest to what was believed to be a rendezvous point or a carrier. This led the American people to believe that there were Japanese spies embedded in our communities. In the midst of mounting public unrest and unspeakable fear, we made an unforgettable yet regrettable decision: Japanese internment

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