Eleanor Roosevelt and his son, James, accompanied him in the presidential motorcade.
Roosevelt and his advisers knew they were risking war, but hoped Japan would back down.
But FDR and the nation had been anticipating a possible military clash with Japan for months. At 6:30 p.m. on December 7, she discussed the attack during her weekly Sunday program on NBC radio.During the late afternoon, Eleanor typed these new opening remarks for her Sunday evening radio program.
The wording was deliberately passive.
The Pearl Harbor attack began during the lunch, though no one, including ER, was aware. President politely ignored it. Roosevelt, Franklin D. FDR Then, as Congress and the largest radio audience in history listened, he began one the most important speeches in American history.Listen to President Roosevelt deliver his Day of Infamy address.“AS THE PRESIDENT FACED THE AUDIENCE I SAW TEARS IN HIS EYES”Agriculture Secretary Claude Wickard was in the audience when FDR delivered the Day of Infamy address at the Capitol. Audio Recording All then pledged support, though some expressed consternation. Franklin D. Roosevelt - December 8, 1941 Full audio speech, "Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." continued peace. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the
1941.
Secretary of State Cordell Hull had recommended that the President devote more time to a fuller exposition of Japanese-American relations and the lengthy, but unsuccessful, effort to find a peaceful solution. FDR’s only scheduled appointment that day had been a Later that afternoon, she visited FDR.
Over 2,400 military personnel and civilians were dead.The surprise attack shocked the nation and instantly plunged it into World War II. Barkley, Alben - Crane, Maurice A.
Navy Secretary Frank Knox was on the line with startling news—Japanese aircraft were bombing Pearl Harbor. In the final version of the speech delivered by FDR it reads:"With confidence in our armed forces—with the unbounding determination of our people—we will gain the inevitable triumph—so help us God.”Later that morning, FDR made his final changes to a third draft of the text (see below) including the addition of several new locations where Japan had attacked during the night of December 7 and morning of December 8.This draft includes an insert (marked “A”) on the final page where Harry Hopkins’s suggested sentence (“With confidence in our armed forces—with the unbounding determination of our people—we will gain the inevitable triumph—so help us God.”) would be added.Shortly after noon, FDR left the White House to deliver his war message to a joint session of Congress. The The overall tone of the speech was one of determined realism.
The Center asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here. They were joined at 3:20 p.m. by General George C. Marshall and Secretary of State Cordell Hull.
He sent it to FDR as a gift on January 27,
the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. He then promptly ignored it.“THE FREE AND UNCONQUERABLE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES”While FDR drafted his war message, Eleanor Roosevelt was also preparing to speak about Japan’s attack. The resolution passed unanimously in the Senate.
Now—just three hours after learning of Japan’s attack—he was ready to dictate it.The President leaned back in his chair and took a long drag from his cigarette. trusted aide and friend, dismissed it as “a long-winded dissertation on the "Early jotted down Roosevelt’s statement. the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to alternative war message for FDR to deliver to Congress. Thirty-three minutes after he finished speaking, Congress declared war on Japan, with only one Representative, Jeannette Rankin, voting against the declaration. Jacobsen, Arnold - La Guardia, Fiorello H. (Fiorello Henry) Speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt, New York (Transcript) A conscientious objector to war, Rankin had also voted against U.S. entry into World War I.At 1:32 p.m.—less than one hour after FDR finished his speech and 24 hours after he had learned of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor—the resolution was approved by both houses. I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Secretary of State His revised statement was all the stronger for its emphatic insistence that posterity would forever endorse the American view of the attack. Then he rushed to the White House.At 3:05 p.m.—while Pearl Harbor was still under attack—FDR convened a meeting of key military and diplomatic advisers in his Study.