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The "Man in the Street" Reacts to Pearl Harbor
- Author: Center for History and New Media/American Social History Project
- Subject: Humanities
- Institution Name: American Social History Project/Center for History and New Media
- Collection: Many Pasts (CHNM/ASHP)
- Grade Level: Secondary, Post-secondary
- Abstract: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, stunned virtually everyone in the United States military. Japan's carrier-launched bombers found Pearl Harbor totally unprepared. President Franklin Roosevelt quickly addressed Congress to ask for a declaration of war. In the wake of the attack and Roosevelt's speech, folklorists employed by the Library of Congress rushed out to the streets of Washington, D. C., to record public reaction. The selection of "man on the street" interviews showed a wide range of public responses to the attack and to FDR's speech. Young servicemen seemed most concerned about canceled furloughs, while a Polish immigrant swore his undying loyalty to the United States. African Americans in a poolhall insisted on their people's contribution to American history.
- Languages: English
- Material Types: Primary Source
- Media Formats: Graphics/Photos, Text/HTML
- Conditions of Use:
Custom License
Fair Use for educational purposes
