Download AIM: Why are December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001

AIM: Why are December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001 remembered as “dates which will
live in infamy?”
Comparing & Contrasting Pearl Harbor & the 9/11 Attacks
Directions: Read the source and use the following chart to compare and contrast the Pearl
Harbor sources and 9/11 sources.
Source
Pearl Harbor
9/11
Both
Presidential
Speeches
Newspaper
Headlines
Photographs
Public Reaction
Meaningful Conversations
•
How does the Pearl Harbor Attack compare and contrast to the 9/11 attack?
•
Why did Japan choose to go to war against the US? Was that a smart decision?
•
Was the attack at Pearl Harbor the only reason the US went to war or was there other
motivating factors that influenced the US to go to war?
AIM: Why are December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001 remembered as “dates which will
live in infamy?”
Presidential Speeches
Document 1
“A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”: FDR Asks for a Declaration of War, December 7,
1941
Yesterday, 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. 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. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the
American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague
delivered to our secretary of state a formal reply to a recent American message.
The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. No matter how long it may take us to
overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win
through to absolute victory.
Document 2
“A Great People has been Moved to Defend a Great Nation”: George W. Bush, September
11, 2001
Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of
deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries,
business men and women, military and federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors.
Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of
airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge -- huge structures collapsing have filled us
with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were
intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong.
A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the
foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These
acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for
attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. Today, our
nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America. I
have directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find
those responsible and to bring them to justice. Our military is powerful and it is prepared.
AIM: Why are December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001 remembered as “dates which will
live in infamy?”
Newspaper Headlines
Document 1
Pearl Harbor Attack
On the morning of December 7,
1941, the Japanese launched a
surprise air attack on the U.S. Naval
Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. After
just two hours of bombing, more than
2,400 Americans were dead, 21 ships
had either been sunk or damaged, and
more than 188 U.S. aircraft
destroyed.
The attack at Pearl Harbor so
outraged Americans that the U.S.
abandoned its policy of isolationism
and declared war on Japan the
following day -- officially bringing
the United States into World War II.
Document 2
9/11 Attacks
On September 11, 2001, 19
militants associated with the
Islamic extremist group alQaeda hijacked four airliners
and carried out suicide attacks
against targets in the United
States. Two of the planes were
flown into the towers of the
World Trade Center in New
York City, a third plane hit the
Pentagon just outside
Washington, D.C., and the
fourth plane crashed in a field in
Pennsylvania. Often referred to
as 9/11, the attacks resulted in
extensive death and destruction,
triggering major U.S. initiatives
to combat terrorism and
defining the presidency of
George W. Bush. Over 3,000
people were killed during the
attacks in New York City and
Washington, D.C., including
more than 400 police officers
AIM: Why are December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001 remembered as “dates which will
live in infamy?”
Group 3: Photographs
Document 1
USS Shaw explodes during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941
President Franklin Roosevelt called December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy." On that day,
Japanese planes attacked the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory. The bombing
killed more than 2,300 Americans. It completely destroyed the American battleship U.S.S. Arizona and
capsized the U.S.S. Oklahoma. The attack sank or beached a total of twelve ships and damaged nine
others. 160 aircraft were destroyed and 150 others damaged. The attack took the country by surprise,
especially the ill-prepared Pearl Harbor base.
Document 2
World Trade Center Crumbles, Sept. 11, 2001
The towers of the World Trade Center collapsed on
September 11, 2001, as a result of the center's Twin
Towers being hit by jet airliners hijacked by
terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda during the
September 11 attacks. Two of the four hijacked
airliners crashed into the Twin Towers, one into the
North Tower (1 World Trade Center) and the other
into the South Tower (2 World Trade Center). The
collapse of the twin towers destroyed the rest of the
complex, and debris from the collapsing towers
severely damaged or destroyed more than a dozen
other adjacent and nearby structures. The South
Tower collapsed at 9:59 am, less than an hour after
being hit by the hijacked airliner, and at 10:28 am
the North Tower collapsed. Later that day, 7 World
Trade Center collapsed at 5:21 pm from fires that
had started when the North Tower collapsed. As a
result of the attacks to the towers, 2,752 people
died, including all 157 passengers (including the
hijackers) and crew aboard the two airplanes.
AIM: Why are December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001 remembered as “dates which will
live in infamy?”
Group 4: Public Reaction
Document 1
Racism against Japanese-Americans
On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a sneak attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it a "date that will live in infamy." America declared
war against Japan the next day. Overnight, Japanese Americans found their lives changed. Seventy-four
days after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt issued an order that forced over 110,000 Japanese
Americans to leave their homes in California, Washington, and Oregon and live in one of ten detention
camps in remote parts of the United States. After the Pearl Harbor attacks, war hysteria led to the
widespread racial prejudice against Japanese-Americans who, simply because of their Japanese
ancestry, were blamed for the Pearl Harbor attacks, even though many of them were American citizens.
Document 2
Racism against Muslim-Americans
A decade after Sept. 11, 2001, the survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the
Press, shows that a majority of Muslims say the terrorist attacks made it more difficult to be a Muslim in
the United States. Many said that they had been singled out by airport security officers and that people had
acted suspicious of them or called them offensive names. A significant number of Americans remain wary
of Muslims. Last year, in a 2013 Washington Post-ABC News poll, 31 percent of respondents said that
Islam “encourages violence.” Following September 11, 2001, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
reported a 1,700 percent increase of hate crimes against Muslim Americans between 2000 to 2001.