Attack at Pearl Harbor
Across the globe from Europe, America was also concerned about Japanese aggressions in the Pacific. Japan had already seized large parts of Manchuria and China and was becoming a strong naval power. Many Americans felt that their holdings in the Philippines, Midway Island, and even Hawaii might be in danger of attack.
Those fears were realized on December7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Hundreds of Japanese bombers destroyed 18 American ships and almost 200 American planes, most of which were still on the ground. The Japanese goal was to destroy the American naval fleet in the Pacific so they could continue their dominance of the region. Over 2,400 members of the US military were killed that morning, with another 1,000 injured. Most of the ships that were bombed were badly damaged. The USS Arizona was so badly destroyed that it remains at the bottom of the harbor today. However, the damage was not complete. Most of the ships could be repaired, and US aircraft carriers, usually docked at Pearl Harbor, were not there that morning.
The bombing changed the opinions of most Americans about remaining neutral. On December 8, 1941, Depression and War President Roosevelt appeared before Congress to ask for a declaration of war against Japan. Congress granted his request. The United States also entered the war with Germany and Japan over the next few days as they declared war on the United States. The “sleeping giant” had been awakened, and the United States entered a two-front war in Europe and the Pacific.
The war sparked massive economic growth in the United States. Congress increased the income tax, and poured most of that money into the war effort, creating jobs in the armed forces and in factories that manufactured supplies. This boost brought the Great Depression to an end.
