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FranklinDelanoRoosevelt
PearlHarborAddresstotheNation

DeliveredDecember8,1941

AUTHENTICITYCERTIFIED:Textversionbelowtranscribeddirectlyfromaudio

Mr.VicePresident,Mr.Speaker,MembersoftheSenate,andoftheHouseofRepresentatives:
Yesterday,December7th,1941adatewhichwillliveininfamytheUnitedStatesof
AmericawassuddenlyanddeliberatelyattackedbynavalandairforcesoftheEmpireof
Japan.
TheUnitedStateswasatpeacewiththatnationand,atthesolicitationofJapan,wasstillin
conversationwithitsgovernmentanditsemperorlookingtowardthemaintenanceofpeacein
thePacific.
Indeed,onehourafterJapaneseairsquadronshadcommencedbombingintheAmerican
islandofOahu,theJapaneseambassadortotheUnitedStatesandhiscolleaguedeliveredto
ourSecretaryofStateaformalreplytoarecentAmericanmessage.Andwhilethisreply
statedthatitseemeduselesstocontinuetheexistingdiplomaticnegotiations,itcontainedno
threatorhintofwarorofarmedattack.
ItwillberecordedthatthedistanceofHawaiifromJapanmakesitobviousthattheattack
wasdeliberatelyplannedmanydaysorevenweeksago.Duringtheinterveningtime,the
JapanesegovernmenthasdeliberatelysoughttodeceivetheUnitedStatesbyfalse
statementsandexpressionsofhopeforcontinuedpeace.

TranscriptionbyMichaelE.Eidenmuller. PropertyofAmericanRhetoric.com. Copyright2010.Allrightsreserved.

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AmericanRhetoric.com
TheattackyesterdayontheHawaiianislandshascausedseveredamagetoAmericannaval
andmilitaryforces.IregrettotellyouthatverymanyAmericanliveshavebeenlost.In
addition,AmericanshipshavebeenreportedtorpedoedonthehighseasbetweenSan
FranciscoandHonolulu.
Yesterday,theJapanesegovernmentalsolaunchedanattackagainstMalaya.
Lastnight,JapaneseforcesattackedHongKong.
Lastnight,JapaneseforcesattackedGuam.
Lastnight,JapaneseforcesattackedthePhilippineIslands.
Lastnight,theJapaneseattackedWakeIsland.
Andthismorning,theJapaneseattackedMidwayIsland.
Japanhas,therefore,undertakenasurpriseoffensiveextendingthroughoutthePacificarea.
Thefactsofyesterdayandtodayspeakforthemselves.ThepeopleoftheUnitedStateshave
alreadyformedtheiropinionsandwellunderstandtheimplicationstotheverylifeandsafety
ofournation.
AscommanderinchiefoftheArmyandNavy,Ihavedirectedthatallmeasuresbetakenfor
ourdefense.Butalwayswillourwholenationrememberthecharacteroftheonslaught
againstus.
Nomatterhowlongitmaytakeustoovercomethispremeditatedinvasion,theAmerican
peopleintheirrighteousmightwillwinthroughtoabsolutevictory.
IbelievethatIinterpretthewilloftheCongressandofthepeoplewhenIassertthatwewill
notonlydefendourselvestotheuttermost,butwillmakeitverycertainthatthisformof
treacheryshallneveragainendangerus.
Hostilitiesexist.Thereisnoblinkingatthefactthatourpeople,ourterritory,andour
interestsareingravedanger.
Withconfidenceinourarmedforces,withtheunboundingdeterminationofourpeople,wewill
gaintheinevitabletriumphsohelpusGod.
IaskthattheCongressdeclarethatsincetheunprovokedanddastardlyattackbyJapanon
Sunday,December7th,1941,astateofwarhasexistedbetweentheUnitedStatesandthe
Japaneseempire.

TranscriptionbyMichaelE.Eidenmuller. PropertyofAmericanRhetoric.com. Copyright2010.Allrightsreserved.

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