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Declaration of War Against Japan

Black and white photograph of a full, mostly seated, House Chamber with Franklin Delano Roosevelt speaking into many microphones on the rostrum/tiles/collection/3/31778.xml
Photograph reverse with a clipping of the photograph with a caption reading, “1941 President Roosevelt, in this historic joint session of Congress in 1941 just after Pearl Harbor, told the Nation of the sneak attack. War on Japan was immediately declared. --International News Photo.” Additional text, mostly torn and illegible reads, “Congress Vot...Short...joint session of...and the House voted…the Japanese Empire…House of Representat...s address.”/tiles/collection/3/31777.xml
Black and white photograph of a full, mostly seated, House Chamber with Franklin Delano Roosevelt speaking into many microphones on the rostrum
Photograph reverse with a clipping of the photograph with a caption reading, “1941 President Roosevelt, in this historic joint session of Congress in 1941 just after Pearl Harbor, told the Nation of the sneak attack. War on Japan was immediately declared. --International News Photo.” Additional text, mostly torn and illegible reads, “Congress Vot...Short...joint session of...and the House voted…the Japanese Empire…House of Representat...s address.”
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Date

1941-12-08

Maker

International News Photos

Dimensions

5 7/8 x 7 5/16 in. (14.9 x 18.6 cm)

Accession Number

2008.130.012

Credit Line

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives

Object Details

On December 8, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asked a Joint Session of Congress to declare war against Japan in response to the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. In his remarks, the president assured Members of Congress and the American people, “With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help us God.” The vote to go to war was nearly unanimous, with pacifist Jeannette Rankin’s as the lone dissenting voice.

Rights and Reproduction Information

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