Question

Read the first three paragraphs of Franklin Roosevelt’s request for a declaration of war.

Beyond Congress, who is his primary intended audience?

the American public
the Japanese people
American and Japanese diplomats
other countries that might be at risk

Answer 1

the American public

Roosevelt's speech to Congress was also intended for the nation — to inform and rally American citizens, build public support for a declaration of war, and frame the attack as a deliberate outrage ("a date which will live in infamy").