Pearl Harbor Dbq

800 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Overview essay: attack on pearl harbor

December 7, 1941 Japanese Military forces bombed the United States Naval Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A large number of american planes were destroyed, eight battleships, three cruisers and three destroyers were damaged, as well as over 2,300 U.S. servicemen died. All of America was devastated. The two countries had been uneasy for quite some time, and the Bombing of Pearl Harbor was America’s ticket into World War 2. President Roosevelt declared war on Japan and America was dragged into the war. However, the question still remains, why did the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor? There are many possibilities as to why the Japanese chose to bomb Pearl Harbor, but the three most prominent reasons were, because of the Immigration Quota Act of 1924, …show more content…

In 1924 the US passed the Immigration Quota act, this law restricted the amount of immigrants entering from areas of Europe and prohibited entry to Indians, Chinese and Japanese. When this law was passed Japan was furious, the Japanese Times and Mails said, “The senate passed with an overwhelming majority, an amendment they know is the most humiliating one to the Japanese race”.The Japanese felt not only humiliated but angered, they would not let America get away with discriminating against their race and as stated in Japanese Times and Mails , “And the event cuts the Japanese mind deep, a wound that will hurt and rankle for generations and generations”. Japan did not take the Immigration Quota Act of 1924 lightley and most likely held it against the US, making it one of the possible reasons Pearl Harbor was …show more content…

In Pearl Harbor and the Coming of the Pacific War, it showed that in 1940 Roosevelt moved troops and in 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (Iriye 327). Roosevelt wanted to prove America have a strong fleet and repel Japanese aggression, but instead that may have been the last straw. In an excerpt from Pearl Harbor and the Coming of the Pacific War, Hideki Tojo said, “When I think of the strength in of American defense in the South West Pacific, the expansion of the American Fleet, … I see no end to difficulties…. I fear that we would become a third-class nation after two to three years if we just sit tight” (Iriye). In Tojo’s speech he feared America would become more powerful than their nation, and Tojo says unless they do something, like bombing pearl harbor, that would ultimately

Show More
Related

  • World War II Veterans: Thomas Mahoney

    1240 Words  | 3 Pages

    To begin, the attack on Pearl Harbour was devastating to U.S. naval capabilities in the Pacific at the onset of their entry into the war. Japanese officials had grown tired of the U.S. oil embargo, which was meant to limit their territorial expansion and aggression in South-East Asia as well as China, and as negotiations weren’t reaching any conclusions they decided that the only course of action was a first strike on the aircraft carriers at Pearl Harbour to cripple U.S. naval capability in the Pacific (Rosenberg 1). The attack, which lasted about two hours, had resulted in the sinking of four battleships, among ...

    Read More

  • Reasons for the Attack on Pearl Harbor

    1675 Words  | 4 Pages

    There were many events that led up to Japan making the decision to bomb Pearl Harbor. It all started with Japan wanting to expand their power. Japan was an island nation, it was isolated from many other nations, and Japan chose to be that way. But by the beginning of the 1900’s Japan was starting to fall apart as it was starting to become short of raw materials. Japan figured if it wanted to survive it would have to expand to get more materials. (O'NEAL 410-413). Japan started trying to take over Asia; they landed in the east coast of China in Manchuria and stationed troops there in order to try to take over northeastern China. ("Japan Launches A Surprise Attack on Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941"). In reaction to Japan’s landing and hostility towards China the United States, who wanted to keep the open-door policy with China, placed economic sanctions of Japan to slow down Japan’s advances in China. (Higgs). President Roosevelt hoped that these sanctions that the United States put on Japan would lead them to making the mistake of declaring war on the United States (which would also bring Italy and Germany into the attack too since they were all allied) the reason why Rooseve...

    Read More

  • Day of Infamy Speech by President Roosevelt

    605 Words  | 2 Pages

    The United States was at peace with Japan following peace negotiations that had been made. The President expresses his concern that the United States was still in conversation with Japanese government and its Emperor looking towards the continuation of peace in the pacific. Japanese had a series of secret plans to bomb America. The president says that the previous day’s attack on Hawaii Islands had caused severe destruction to American naval and military forces. In his speech, he expresses his regrets to inform the Congress that Americans had lost their lives. He continues to state that American ships had been submerged in elevated seas starting from San Francisco and Honolulu. Consequently, these harsh actions by Japanese government made Roosevelt, as commander in chief of the army and navy, dictate on the possible measures to fight back. He is very confident to state that even if it takes a long period for the United States to conquer the enemies’ actions, which he refers to as old-fashioned invention, the people of America will emerge the absolute victory. He believes that, through defending his nation against enemies, he will be acting upon the will of his people and of the Congress. He promises his people that such attacks w...

    Read More

  • Pearl Harbor Dbq Essay

    626 Words  | 2 Pages

    Japan announced its new policy and invaded Manchuria and Japan. The U.S. was concerned about Japan’s behavior but did not take war actions so they stopped trading with them. President Franklin moved U.S. Navy from California to Pearl Harbor with the Congress agreement. The United States became a major threat to Japan. Many people believe the Japanese were successful in their attack. But, the result of the attack did not enable Japan to expand in the Pacific. It did not result in the acquisition of more natural resources. And, the restrictions were not lifted as a result of the

    Read More

  • Kabuo Assumed Guilty Because of Japanese Heritage in Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    The racial conflict with Japanese-Americans began when the Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, a military naval base located in the state of Hawaii. “Behind them they left chaos, 2,403 dead, 188 destroyed planes, and a crippled Pacific Fleet that included 8 damaged or destroyed battleships” (“Attack” 1). The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on the Empire of Japan. The fear that resulted from the attack on Pearl Harbor caused many white Americans to hate the Japanese-Americans. Many Japanese were accused of being spies and were arrested without proof. “Rabid anti-Japanese American racism surfaced the first days after Pearl Harbor. The FBI and the military had been compiling lists of "potentially dangerous" Japanese Americans since 1932, but most were merely teachers, businessmen or journalists” (Thistlethwaite 1). In February of 1942, all of the Japanese on the West Coast of the United States were sent to internment camps.

    Read More

  • Pearl Harbor Dbq

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the most atrocious attacks to have ever happened on American soil, starting with disagreement on the Potsdam declaration. Japan’s greed for more land and industrial materials led the Japanese to make a plan to keep the United States out of the war, which consisted the use of kamikaze pilots and bombs to destroy our aircraft carriers and boats in an attempt to control the Pacific. While leaving the drowning, and dead bodies of thousands of American seamen and battleships at the bottom of the sea, seemed to be a good idea to the Japanese; America joined World War II and introduced the first nuclear weapons as reprisal for the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Had the Japanese agreed to an unconditional surrender and end to militarism during the agreement on the Potsdam declaration, the introduction to nuclear weapons and the death count wouldn’t have been so high and devastating on both the American and Japanese sides.

    Read More

  • The Munson Report: Pearl Harbor Bombing

    1353 Words  | 3 Pages

    Year’s prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor the United States Government intercepted and decoded secret messages from the Japanese Islands and the Japanese Government. During that time the relationship with the Japanese Government and the rest of the world, especially the United States, was extremely tenuous. To avoid a war, which had begun to loom in the waters of the Pacific, off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands, a territory of the United States, Great Britain, the United States and other countries of the world called for all trade to the Japanese Islands be halted and assets to be frozen, which ultimately caused a near collapse of the Japanese economy. In the early Fall of 1941 the U.S. Government, knowing a possible war approached, secretly requested that those Japanese immigrants and the large population of Japanese- Americans (those born in the United States) be questioned as to their loyalty. “The President of the United States ordered a special intelligence finding investigation to be conducted” (Armor and Wright, 13-14).

    Read More

  • Pearl Harbor: A Day That Will Live in Question

    1413 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the beginning of the 1930’s the U.S had no desire to enter another world war or involve themselves in European foreign affairs. The U.S policy of isolationism was extremely popular not only with citizens but with government officials as well. With this being said, what factors could have contributed to the U.S involvement in World War II? . Pearl Harbor was the main factor that led to the U.S involvement in World War II despite the fact that the fact that the overwhelming majority of the country wanted nothing to do with the war in Europe. (Foner 856) “December 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.” These were the words spoken by President Franklin D Roosevelt to Congress when asking them to declare war on the Empire of Japan just one day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. That same day, December 8th, 1941, Congress indeed, declared war on the Empire of Japan (Pearl Harbor).

    Read More

  • Pearl Harbor Dbq Analysis

    299 Words  | 1 Pages

    America’s defenses were surprised and unprepared for the attack on Pearl Harbor. There was a major communication problem, which lead there to be little suspection that there would be an attack on Pearl Harbor. Due to this false sense of security there was little to no preparation if anything were to occur. According to Admiral H.E. Kimmel he was notified to send resources to countries who were suspected to be under attack (like Guam and the Philippines). In the text on Document B, Admiral H.E. Kimmel , “On November 27, the Navy Department suggested that I send from the immediate vicinity of Pearl Harbor the carriers of the fleet’s main striking defense against an air attack.” Kimmel also stated, ”On November 27, the War and Navy Department

    Read More

  • The Japanese Internment Camps

    1370 Words  | 3 Pages

    Stetson Conn (1990) wrote “For several decades the Japanese population had been the target of hostility and restrictive action.” It was easy for the government to take advantage of the Japanese-Americans because they were already the target of aggression. Since the Japanese population was already in such a low position in society, taking advantage of their circumstances was easy for the government. The Japanese found themselves having to defend their presence in a country that was supposed to be accepting; this also happened to the Chinese before the Japanese. (Terry, 2012)

    Read More

  • Why did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor

    669 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, On December 7 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and everyone questions as to why. Well i believe Japan attack Pearl Harbor because Japan had plans for a new world order. An old order (Europe and America) controlled by China, British and Dutched is now crumbling. So that gives other country an advantage to start a new order. So Japan would be that country to step up and start a new order. The new order would only affect the ones that japan has control over. The new order was formed to build up japanese authority throughout the continent.One of the most difficult challenges in establishing the New Order was to obtain the cooperation and expertise of business. Since the 1930s, technocrats had sought to combine state planning with private initiative. Drawing upon the lessons of Manchurian industrialization, technocrats downplayed the anti-capitalist rhetoric of the New Order and recast their policies in more business-friendly terms. It was drawn by The Prime Japanese Minister, This was a consequence of the Manchurian crisis. General Hideki Tojo was one of the main supporters of the new order, He was an ex-commander of the Kwantung army and is now an army minster. Some countries agree with the new order because it benefited them. But others didnt like the United States who begin an embargo of aircraft and aircraft parts against Japan which means an official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country.So as you see United States didnt want nothing to do japan But Japan wasn’t fi...

    Read More

  • Japanese Internment

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    Inevitably, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, that began World War II, Japanese-Americans were frowned upon and stereotyped because of their descent. However, Japanese immigrants contributed to economic expansion of the United States. Whites resented the Japanese immigrants, but reaped economic profit from the Japanese-American residents’ discipline and hard work. Japanese-Americans of this time seem to be attacked; however, they choose to uphold their disconnection with the rest of the Americans. Many Japanese felt they had superiority over Americans, creating tension and disconnection.

    Read More

  • Attack Pearl Harbor Essay

    812 Words  | 2 Pages

    Now anger was steaming in Japan and they were devising a plan that would cripple America forcing them to get involved in foreign affairs. Yomamoto the military leader for Japan, devised a plan in 1940 to devastate America by taking out Pearl Harbor. The last straw for Japan was when FDR cut off all supplies to Japan this is when Japan devised their plans to take out the U.S. Navy. In 1939 Roosevelt ended the 1911 commercial treaty. In 1940 he signed the export control act that stopped all goods from going to Japan. In July of 1941 Roosevelt froze all of the assets of Japan in the United States. All of these crucial moves made by the United States should have prepared them to expect an attack by the Japanese.

    Read More

  • The Battle of Midway

    1931 Words  | 4 Pages

    As the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 the United States officially entered World War Two. The Japanese government later learned later that this single event sets off an explosion that subsequently caused the United States to attack the Midway Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Pearl Harbor was one of the United States largest naval bases and the largest in the Pacific Ocean. This attack ceased all trade with Japan and officially added Japan as one of the US enemies. With a new world war started it created new concerns for the army. “World War II introduced a whole new set of problems in naval tactics” (Smith, 1). The main change driving these changes was the fact that aircraft carriers became more prevalent and common in every major countries naval force. Japan was able to pull off the Pearl Harbor attack as a result of aircraft carriers to launch their airplanes. As a result of the battles leading up to the Battle of Midway and conflicts with Japan this created a lot larger of an impact on WWII as a whole and to boost unity in America leading to a more prosperous period of history following the war.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Farewell To Manzanar

    1456 Words  | 3 Pages

    On December 7, 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, leading to the United States entrance into World War II. A couple months after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered that all persons of Japanese decent must be secluded. The Japanese were sent to internment camps outside of the pacific military zone, due to the fear Americans had of Japanese espionage. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a major shock for America, and it created extreme fear and paranoia that the Japanese-Americans would help Japan win the war. There was a widespread stigma of anti-Japanese attitudes and racism; therefore, the government concluded it was easier to seclude them from the rest of America. The

    Read More

More about Pearl Harbor Dbq

Open Document