Joint session of the American Congress in which 32nd President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered a "Day of Infamy" speech on December 8, 1941. The previous day the Imperial Japanese Navy and Air Force bombed the American military bases at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii and the Philippines. They declared war on the United States and the British Empire, destroying various American ships and aircraft, and killing over 2,400 civilians and military personnel. After consulting with his cabinet, Roosevelt decided to deliver an address before the joint session of the Congress the next day.
President Franklin Roosevelt delivered his famous "Day of Infamy" speech to Congress on December 8, 1941. Behind him are Vice President Henry Wallace (left) and Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn. To the right, in uniform in front of Rayburn, is Roosevelt's son James, who escorted his father to the Capitol.
Roosevelt's speech was worded to reinforce his portrayal of the United States as a victim of unprovoked Japanese aggression and appealed to patriotism rather than idealism. Roosevelt's choice to speak promptly helped to make the speech rhetorically powerful. According to author Sandra Silberstein, the speech followed a well-established tradition of how "through rhetorical conventions, presidents assume extraordinary powers as the commander in chief, dissent is minimized, enemies are vilified, and lives are lost in the defense of a nation once again united under God".
The speech had an immediate positive response and long-lasting impact. It is one of the most famous speeches in American politics. It was broadcast live by radio and attracted the largest audience in American radio history, with over 81% of adult American listeners tuning in to hear the speech. Soon after the speech, Congress almost unanimously declared war against Japan, formally entering World War II. The White House later received many telegrams praising Roosevelt's stance. The speech has since been used in various films. Roosevelt's description of December 7, 1941, as "a date which will live in infamy" has been compared with November 22, 1963, the date of the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. But America never cared for the ruins of other countries.
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