The United States

December 7, 1941. That day will always be remembered as the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the reason America joined World War II. Pearl Harbor changed many American lives, whether they were deployed to the front lines or stayed back at the Homefront. Those civilians on the Homefront worked in factories, and the deployed fought to make the world a safer place. Most of the nation's population had a rough time during the war, which due to the rationing of everyday items needed for the war. Although a majority of America was affected by the war, the Japanese-Americans in the United States were affected the most.

In 1941 the world was in chaos; In Europe the German army was using a Blitzkrieg method to dominate Europe. The Pacific had Japan jumping islands and expanding their empire. All this time America sat out of the war. Then on December, Seventh 1941 it all changed. Japanese planes destroyed twenty U.S ships,300 planes, and 2,000 soldiers and sailors lost their lives.1 After that America joined the war on the Allies side against the Axis. Pearl Harbor changed foreign policy, changed the American Economy and Hawaii , and started the growing military strength of the U.S military.

World War II dramatically altered everyday life in the United States. Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 1941. The day after the attack, Great Britain and the United States declared war on Japan and two days later, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. During the course of the war, food, gas and clothing were rationed and the search for scrap metal to build armaments became an increasing need. Because the men were now sent to war, women were forced to find employment as electricians, welders and riveters.

Pearl Harbor was one of the worst days in America which led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy". (Wikipedia) The attack on Pearl Harbor left “Ninety minutes after it began, the attack was over. 2,008 sailors were killed and 710 others wounded; 218 soldiers and airmen (who were part of the Army until the independent U.S. Air Force was formed in 1947) were killed and 364 wounded; 109 marines were killed and 69 wounded; and 68 civilians were killed and 35 wounded. In total, 2,403 Americans died and 1,178 were wounded” (Wikipedia) This attack by Japan led the United States into the war but also a bigger war with Japan which

The Attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941 was an attack that changed United States history. The attack directly led the U.S. to join the Allies in World War II and come out with a victory against Germany and Japan, two countries whom that U.S. hoped to defeat. Before the attack, Americans were not interested in being a part of the war. Life was normal, children went to school, parents to work, life was good in America. Radio shows were popular, and many attended movies twice a week; fun, funny, and uplifting movies. The war in Europe was on some

World War II marked an incredible amount of changes in American society. World War II created the opportunity for many different types of technology to emerge (Black, 2013, p. 140). Once the War was over, these new technologies were subsequently assimilated into the daily lives of Americans. Thanks to the G.I. Bills, the soldiers returning from war were getting the proper aid they needed to smoothly rejoin society (Fearon, 1987, p. 287). These retuning soldiers were also given the opportunity to educate themselves and become a part of a skilled workforce.

World War II (WWII) had an immense effect on the United States; culturally, economically, and industrially. Although no battles were fought on American soil, the war affected all phases of American life. Among the infinite of changes experienced by Americans during this time, there was a big shift in the industrial complex, a re-imagining of the role of women in society, and economic boost. Social shifts began to shape a new national identity which would change the country forever.

World War II was a very important event in American history, but as bad as war is or seems to be there always seems to have better outcomes in the end. By the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and bringing America into the war it opened the eyes of all Americans to the problems not only domestically but internationally and the biggest problem that was discovered after the completion of World War II was the level of social equality around the world. It had been a problem that had plagued the world for many years but the atrocities that brought about by the war coupled with the ever growing eye of the media caused for greater concern in the light of social equality in the world.

Cultures using hyphenated forms of “American,” such as Mexican-American, African-American, Asian-American, Native-American and many more is a step in the right direction for culture acceptance. With this positive move in the world, there could be a change in how cultures view themselves, leading to how others view them. The multicultural society has to take into account for this change because without their acceptance it would just be hate. Bharati Mukherjee in her essay “American Dreamer,” asserts, “WE MUST BE ALERT TO THE DANGERS OF AN ‘US’ vs. ‘THEM’ MENTALITY.” Although Mukherjee has a great point here, I have to disagree. I don’t feel that we have to be aware of the ‘US’ versus ‘THEM’ mentality with the change in cultural acceptance.

At 7:55 a.m. on Sunday December 7, 1941, The Japanese Empire bombed America’s navel base in Hawaii without warning or a formal declaration of war. Japan did not see this attack as foolish and did not think of the consequences of this mistake. The war began in 1939 and wouldn’t last long after the United States was forcefully brought into it. This was the end of neutrality and the beginning of World War II for the United States. The attack on Pearl Harbor not only affected the course of the Second World War, but it also affected America. The safety that America once felt was gone, our economy was changed, Japanese- Americans suffered, and our opinion of the war took a total turn.

Chapter 6 narrates the popular demand for a militarized “food dictatorship,” and the state leaders’ response to it. The poor Berliners challenged the market economy and believed that only a total militarized control of food distribution could serve their needs. Seeing the slow response of the authorities, the starving population found that the government failed to make their promise to reward their patriotism in the war. A byproduct at this time was anti-Semitism, separating “true Germans” from “the Jew” that were associated with profiteering (132-135). This chapter contends that the women of lesser means perceived the state’s capacity for controlling food distribution as a criterion to “adjudicate the government’s success or failure” (115). Consequently, the WWI Germany was not fully oriented to the military need and political loyalty, but full of dynamic altercation (115).

led by the Sons of Liberty: opened 342 chests of tea and dumped them into the Boston Harbor (dressed up as Native Americans)

1939 is when World War 2 started, and everything In the United States started to change. The American government started to recognize the new immigrants, and the government saw their children as loyal Americans. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. One day after the attack President Franklin D. Roosevelt to declare war on Japan. This has opened a lot of up doors of opportunity for change for American minorities, as American Indians who were exposed for the first time to urban life, African Americans reserved more freedom, women who started to have the ability to work, and Asian Americans who were the most glaring example of the failure to be adequately pluralistic.

One of the main foundations upon of the Constitution is the innate belief that we are a government run are by the people, yet must simultaneously watch for the corruptions of those same people who stand beside us. It is the reason that the United States has a system of checks and balances, to prevent one branch from becoming too powerful, it is why we have the electoral college, though many argue it’s exclusivity has hardly served its purpose, and it is why we have the 7th Amendment, which guarantees all civil trials (that exceed $20, ironically) to be accompanied by a jury. Though the question of its justification and use is more complex than a complete agreement or disagreement, the amendment overall deserves its place among the others, and then some. It is not insusceptible to corruption, most will admit, but we need this right both for it’s efficiency and for it’s correlation with the very foundational principles that make up our country.

The Oxford Dictionary defines Wisdom as the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. Looking over the history of the United States, it can be argued that as a nation, the U.S has grown wiser over the years. This due to the various obstacles that they’ve overcome. Many of which were conflicts that arose with other countries and, at one point, within itself. All of the decisions made during these times of tension and overall crisis, even though at the moment very difficult to get through, all in all have been exceedingly beneficial to its progression as a Nation and in total helping citizens better define what it truly means to be American. Although the United States has been around since the late 1700’s, the definition of what it means to be American has transformed dramatically since then. Through each major conflict and detrimental hardship, the definition of what it means to be American has manifested itself into something far greater than it ever has been before, demonstrating the amount of progress that this fine nation has made over the past two hundred years altogether.