The United States in a Time of Crisis
(1929-1945)

This inquiry kit features Library of Congress sources related to the American public’s reaction to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Thinking Questions

Pearl Harbor Bombing

black and white photo of Pearl Harbor with smoke rising from ships in the distance

This photograph shows how the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii destroyed the U.S. ships of the Pacific Fleet.

Reading War News on the Streetcar

black and white photo of a man reading a newspaper

This photograph shows a man reading a 1941 San Francisco newspaper with headlines "War Extra" and "Enemy Planes Near N.Y. from Atlantic!"

Naval Dispatch: Bombing of Pearl Harbor

typed black text on a blue piece of paper

This document is a naval dispatch from the Navy ship U.S.S. Ranger in Hawaii after the bombing of Pearl Harbor started.

After the Day of Infamy: "Man-on-the-Street" Interviews

screenshot of website with black text on a white background and audio icons

After the Day of Infamy: "Man-on-the-Street" Interviews Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor presents approximately twelve hours of opinions recorded in the days and months following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, from more than two hundred individuals in cities and towns across the United States.

"Dear Mr. President" January/February 1942

white audio icon on an orange background

This interview is from the “Man on the Street” collection at the Library of Congress. In it,a man named Carlos Lopez talks about his thoughts about Pearl Harbor.

Air Raid On Pearl Harbor

screenshot of website with black text on white background, includes photo of a blue 'Naval Dispatch'

This article from the Library of Congress talks about the attack on Pearl Harbor. The article also talks about how the Office of War Information (OWI) used people’s fear and outrage after the attack to encourage American support for World War II.