70 Years: The Day That Will Live in Infamy

from the US National Archives, via Quite Continental

The following day President Roosevelt requested (and immediately received) a Congressional declaration of war on Japan in what has become known as his Day of Infamy speech.  That same day, the Archive of American Folk Song (now the Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center), dispatched their fieldworkers to collect “man on the street” reactions to both the attack and the declaration of war.  By February 1942, fieldworkers had recorded over twelve hours of opinions from more than two hundred individuals across the country.  Touching on topics such as race relations and national pride, the interviews are a revealing look at the American state of mind in the wake of Pearl Harbor.

Today marks 70 years since the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Fellow blogger Quite Continental featured a post that links to the US National Archives’ recordings of interviews and speeches held after December 7, 1941, a true treasure trove of American history and our resolve in the face of tragedy. We honor and support veterans, past and present, and today remember those that lost their lives 70 years ago.

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