Question

In a paragraph of 5-7 sentences, describe how everyday Americans and the U.S. government responded to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.(8 points)

Answer 1

After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, everyday Americans reacted with shock, anger, and a sudden, widespread determination to support the war effort. Many men volunteered or were drafted into the armed forces while millions of others shifted into defense jobs, with women entering factories in unprecedented numbers to keep war production moving. On December 8, 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress for—and received—an almost unanimous declaration of war, launching a full government mobilization of the economy and military. The federal government instituted rationing, price controls, war-bond drives, propaganda campaigns, and civil defense measures to sustain resources and morale. Simultaneously, fear and prejudice produced darker consequences at home, most notably Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced removal and internment of about 120,000 Japanese Americans. Together these responses transformed American society and put the nation squarely on a wartime footing.