The Causes of Pearl Harbor

2083 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: narrative about the pearl harbor attack

“There is no choice left but to fight and break the iron chains strangling Japan” (Spector 76) Admiral Nagano Osami gave this statement after finding no other way to resolve relations between the United States and Japan. The attack on Pearl Harbor was the only way Japan sought to break away from the United States oppression of the Japanese people. Poor relations between Japan and America were both economical and political; this caused the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The hatred from the Japanese against the United States dated back from the 1860s. When tension between the two nations grew due to American discrimination against Japanese immigrants. Leland Stanford and his associates were building the western section of the Trans- Continental railroad across the United States. They employed Chinese laborers because they were cheaper and more efficient than European laborers. After the railroad was complete the Chinese sought work in the American labor market. American workers began to oppose this new labor force, the Government responded by passing the Chinese Exclusion Acts, forcing most of the Chinese to return to China. The Japanese were also included in the act, most of the Japanese that came to the United States worked in the fields in Hawaii. This angered the farmers of American, because the Japanese were more skillful. (Hoyt 37)

The Japanese had been coming to America at a steady rate of roughly a thousand per year. After the annexation of Hawaii, the Japanese appeared in record numbers of twelve thousand per year. This resulted in a panic for San Francisco. The mayor quarantined a section of the city just for the oriental immigrants. The Japanese became offended and protested, but the San Francisco Labor Council began to issue laws similar to the Chinese Exclusion acts. The Japanese Government responded by stoping the issuing of passports to contract laborers going to America even if the American employers wanted them and promised employment. (Hoyt 37)

The American Federation of Labor struggled to pass Anti- Japanese laws. The press had a field day with the headlines causing the country to become racist against the Japanese. The headlines were not only insulting but also untrue. Finally President Roosevelt intervened and put an end to segregation in exchange for the Gentleman’s Agreement, the United States government agreed to ...

... middle of paper ...

...ater released,

“ In various aspects the empire is losing materials: that is , we are getting weaker. By contrast the enemy is getting stronger. With the passage of time, we will get increasingly weaker, and we won’t be able to survive. Moreover, we will endure what we can be endured in carrying on diplomacy, but at the opportune moment we most take some estimates.” (Hoyt 211)

The Japanese military had several conferences to decide on what action should be taken to show the greater powers of the world that Japan wasn’t weak. The decision was made by the government leaders at this Nagano conference to continue negotiating with the United States until October 1941. If nothing were settled, then the Japanese would begin war with the United States. The United States refused to give in Japan’s requests. They were not looking to settle. (Hoyt 212)

The Japanese’s hatred towards the United States was getting increasingly stronger. Japan saw the oil cut off as the last straw. All the pent up anger and frustration that the Japanese felt towards the Americans was released on December 7, 1941. The Japanese took their revenge on the United States, with a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

Show More
Related

  • Pearl Harbor Dbq

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    While there was great strategic value for the attack on Pearl Harbor it was an unacceptable affront to American’s. Japan’s greediness for land ended in a mass killing by atomic bombs being dropped on their homeland. The mass killing of American’s in the United States led to an outcry of mass anger towards Japan. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the most atrocious attacks to have ever happened, but ultimately led to the ending of the

    Read More

  • Reasons for the Attack on Pearl Harbor

    1675 Words  | 4 Pages

    December 7th, 1941. This was the date of one of the most important attacks on the United States in the history of America. This was the date of the Japanese attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor was the last straw that led to the United States joining World War II as part of the Allied Power. The bombing was in reaction to many economic sanctions that were placed on Japan, so the bombing was not just to make the United States mad. We can see many reasons as to why Japan would bomb Pearl Harbor.

    Read More

  • Japanese-American Internment During World War II

    1549 Words  | 4 Pages

    The internment and cruel treatment of the Japanese in the U.S. stemmed from a fear of a full-pledged invasion from Japan and also from years of racial prejudice against the Japanese. Like the Chinese, the first Japanese immigrants were originally viewed as a cheap source of labor, but shortly after they became targets of anti-Asian campaigns, specifically called the “yellow peril.” This prejudice began as the Japanese slowly moved from farm laborers to farm owners and owners of small businesses. “As successful farmers, fruit growers, fishermen, and small businessmen, their ability to do well with little and to overcome great odds made them objects of envy by some members of the white community.” White Americans (specifically White Farmers) soon began to build a prejudice against the Japanese and supported the internment.. The Japanese were not the only minorities to be segregated. In the 1930s, America as a whole was a place with little tolerance towards people of different color (Native Americans were to live on reservations, African-Americans, Asians, and other minorities were barred from many jobs due to race).

    Read More

  • Immigration to America in the Early 1900's

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ilroad and mining companies had depended on cheap Chinese labor for the majority of their profits and were still unwilling to pay higher wages to white American workers. These businesses increasingly depended on Japanese immigrants to replace the prohibited Chinese workers. As the Japanese came, the Americans told the same story that they had with the Chinese. They were once again arguing that the Japanese were taking their jobs and not absorbing the American culture. The United States took action yet again, by creating an informal treaty with Japan, restricting Japanese immigration to the U.S.

    Read More

  • Waking a Sleeping Giant: Pearl Harbor

    1750 Words  | 4 Pages

    In an effort to attain control of the Pacific Ocean, Japan launched an unprecedented attack against the United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Despite the isolationist attitude of America prior to joining World War II, an embargo against Japan in part prompted the terrible offence. Hideki Tōjō, a radical conservative, had recently been elected Prime Minister of Japan, under his leadership; a plan to expand the Empire of Japan was developed. The attack planned by the Japanese Admiral Isoruko Yamamoto who had been educated in America, and had served two tours of duty in the United States was strategically quite brilliant (Japan). Many factors afforded the opportunity for Japan’s success in the assault. The ignorant arrogance of the United States government in balancing its military distribution created a serious vulnerability. Additionally, the U.S. radar technology was still very new and delivery of intercepted Japanese intelligence was poorly handled. Although significant damage was incurred, the greatest assets of the U.S. Navy, its aircraft carriers, were not docked at Pearl Harbor. Not only did over 2,000 Americans perish (both military and civilian), 55 Japanese aviators died as well. Despite previous rallies to remain uninvolved with World War II, Americans were so angry at the unprovoked attack, lines formed around the block at military recruitment offices; in effect, attacking Pearl Harbor woke a sleeping giant.

    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

  • Japanese Internment After Pearl Harbor

    2439 Words  | 5 Pages

    Japanese immigration created the same apprehension and intolerance in the mind of the Americans as was in the case of Chinese migration to the U.S at the turn of the 19th century. They developed a fear of being overwhelmed by a people having distinct ethnicity, skin color and language that made them “inassimilable.” Hence they wanted the government to restrict Asian migration. Japan’s military victories over Russia and China reinforced this feeling that the Western world was facing what came to be known as “yellow peril”. This was reflected in the media, movies and in literature and journalism.4 Anti-Oriental public opinion gave way to several declarations and laws to restrict Japanese prosperity on American land. Despite the prejudice and ineligibility to obtain citizenship the ...

    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

  • 2003 Dbq Analysis

    533 Words  | 2 Pages

    First of all, many nativist, anti-immigrant feelings, were present in the United States during this time period. White Americans believed that the Japanese in California were taking over their possible jobs, and maybe even going to take of the entire United states. As Austin Anson explains, the Japanese “came to this

    Read More

  • The History Of Pearl Harbor

    2650 Words  | 6 Pages

    Pearl Harbor was one of the most motivational events in American history. From the very beginning Japan and America had their own social views and stereotypes about each other that a feud was bound to occur. On December 7, 1941 the nation of Japan sent out a fleet of their Imperial navy to attack the American held base on the island of Oahu. Leading this attack was Japanese admiral Isoroku Yamamoto who was a militarily strategic genius.” Yamamoto was planning on sinking the entire American Pacific fleet so the U.S navy could be put out of the war for the time being and the Japanese navy could continue their expansion in the Southwest Pacific.”(book)(Gordon Prange 136-138)

    Read More

  • Essay On Japanese Internment Camps

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even before the attack on Pearl Harbor, there was still tension between Japanese-Americans and other United States citizens. Laws like the “Gentlemen’s Agreement,” a way of restricting Japanese immigration, was put into place in 1908 in fear of a “future Japanese ‘takeover’” (Hata and Hata, 7). After the attack on Pearl Harbor, growing hysteria filled the country and Japanese-Americans feared for their future. About a year later, Franklin D. R...

    Read More

  • The Odyssey

    2003 Words  | 5 Pages

    japanese-American During WWII By: Japanese immigrants and the following generations had to endure discrimination, racism, and prejudice from white Americans. They were first viewed as economic competition. The Japanese Americans were then forced into internment camps simply because of the whites fear and paranoia. The Japanese first began to immigrate to the United States in 1868. At first they came in small numbers. US Census records show only 55 in 1870 and 2,039 in 1890. After that, they came in much greater numbers, reaching 24,000 in 1900, 72,000 in 1910, and 111,000 in 1920.(Parrillo,287) Most settled in the western states.(Klimova,1) Many families in Japan followed the practice of primogeniture, which is when the eldest son inherits the entire estate. This was a “push” factor. Because of primogeniture, “second and third sons came to the United States to seek their fortunes.”(Parrillo,287) The promise of economic prosperity and the hope for a better life for their children were two “pull” factors. These foreign-born Japanese were known as Issei (first generation). They filled a variety of unskilled jobs in railroads, farming, fishing, and domestic services. (Klimova,1) The Japanese encountered hostility and discrimination from the start. In California, a conflict with organized labor was due to their growing numbers in small areas and racial visibility.(Parrillo,287) White workers perceived Japanese as economic competition. Their willingness to work for lower wages and under poor conditions brought on hostility from union members. The immigrants became victims of ethnoviolence. In 1890, Japanese cobblers were attacked by members of the shoe maker’s union, and Japanese restaurateurs were attacked by members of the union for cooks and waiters in 1892. It was very difficult to find steady employment; therefore, most of them entered agricultural work. They first worked as laborers, accumulated sufficient capitol, then as tenant farmers or small landholders. Some became contract gardeners for whites.(Parrillo,287) The Japanese farmers were very knowledgeable of cultivation, which made them strong competitors against white farmers. More discrimination by the dominant group soon followed. “In 1913, the California legislator passed the first alien landholding law, prohibiting any person who was ineligible for citizenship from owning land in the state, and per...

    Read More

  • Reasons For The Japanese Attack On Pearl Harbor

    1525 Words  | 4 Pages

    Consequently, Pearl Harbour was a preferred target to attack in order to retaliate the United States. The signing of the Tripartite Treaty with Germany further fuelled Japan’s aggression towards the United States. The Japanese had planned the attack in mind that if the US did engage in war, they would have struggled fighting two fronts. “The causes of the attack on Pearl Harbor stemmed from intensifying Japanese-American rivalry in the Pacific. Japan’s imperial ambitions had been evident from as early as 1931 when she invaded Manchuria.” The United States contribution towards aiding countries in relationships with them accordingly resulted in the attack on Pearl Harbour. At homeland Japan, the Japanese people sought that if the Japanese forces took out America’s naval forces at Pearl Harbour, it would have resulted in no immediate attack on Japan and would have created further havoc for the United States. As a result, Pearl harbour had to inevitably be

    Read More

  • Diagnosis and Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

    1181 Words  | 3 Pages

    Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a traumatic event (Riley). A more in depth definition of the disorder is given by Doctor’s Nancy Piotrowski and Lillian Range, “A maladaptive condition resulting from exposure to events beyond the realm of normal human experience and characterized by persistent difficulties involving emotional numbing, intense fear, helplessness, horror, re-experiencing of trauma, avoidance, and arousal.” People who suffer from this disease have been a part of or seen an upsetting event that haunts them after the event, and sometimes the rest of their lives. There are nicknames for this disorder such as “shell shock”, “combat neurosis”, and “battle fatigue” (Piotrowski and Range). “Battle fatigue” and “combat neurosis” refer to soldiers who have been overseas and seen disturbing scenes that cause them anxiety they will continue to have when they remember their time spent in war. It is common for a lot of soldiers to be diagnosed with PTSD when returning from battle. Throughout the history of wars American soldiers have been involved in, each war had a different nickname for what is now PTSD (Pitman et al. 769). At first, PTSD was recognized and diagnosed as a personality disorder until after the Vietnam Veterans brought more attention to the disorder, and in 1980 it became a recognized anxiety disorder (Piotrowski and Range). There is not one lone cause of PTSD, and symptoms can vary from hallucinations to detachment of friends and family, making a diagnosis more difficult than normal. To treat and in hopes to prevent those who have this disorder, the doctor may suggest different types of therapy and also prescribe medication to help subside the sympt...

    Read More

  • Causes and Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many different causes of PTSD such as sexual abuse, sudden death of a loved one, and war. Trauma affects people in different ways, some can develop it from watching a fellow soldier being killed, and some can develop it from losing their jobs or a divorce. Being diagnosed with PTSD is a difficult process because there are many other psychological disorders whose symptoms can overlap and are very similar. An important fact to remember is that PTSD doesn’t just affect the person suffering; it can also have secondhand effects on their spouses, children, parents, friends, co-workers, and other loved ones. Although there is no direct cure, there are many treatment and alternative treatment options to assist them in moving forward after a trauma.

    Read More

More about The Causes of Pearl Harbor

Open Document