Analysis Of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Speech

Submitted By awesomebeauty
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"Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy."(1) Those are the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Those words will be eternally repeated when discussing the topic of Pearl Harbor. The words contained in his speech show the distress he felt about the attack on Pearl Harbor. The purpose of President Roosevelt's speech was to educate the nation on what had happened on December 7th. He also wanted to clarify his reasons for needing to go to war with the Empire of Japan. Each and every word in his speech played on the emotions of the American people, and it provided significant support for his purpose. His speech was heard all around the nation that day, as everyone with a television watched and all with radios listened. During this time era, most people only owned a radio, those who owned a television were unable to see his facial expressions or his body language due to black and white televisions’ lack of quality graphics, therefore, it was very important that Roosevelt had to distribute his distress though the tone of his speech by using astern and confident voice. As the president gave his speech he said, “I regret to tell you many Americans have lost their lives.”(5) It made the nation come to reality with what we were about to face. Prior to this speech, he made it clear that he did not want to go to war. Due to World War II and the depression going on, he did not want to put the nation through a harder time than they already were in until the surprise attack from Japan. Roosevelt said "The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."(1) Roosevelt wanted to be sure that the congress and the nation knew the facts behind the tragedy before he felt obligated to declare war. In that statement he informs all of America that he had no idea that the attack was coming. He tries to explain America’s relationship with Japan before the attack and how he was shocked that we were bombed he stated, "The United States was at peace with that nation and at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific."(2) That showed the American people what events had taken place prior to the disaster at Pearl Harbor. He wanted the people to know that he was under the impression that the two nations were at peace, and that they were nowhere near a
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