The Story Behind FDR’s “Day of Infamy” Speech

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Pearl Harbor was attacked, FDR's speechwriting team was out of town. So Roosevelt, with the help of a few aides, penned the most important speech of his presidency—and one of the most important in American history. Here's the story behind the story of a speech that defined an era.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
And we continue with our American stories. Up next, the
story of how the Day of Infamy speech came to be.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
It was Sunday afternoon.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
On December seventh, nineteen forty one, and President Franklin Delanor
Roosevelt had just finished eating lunch in his second floor
study in the White House. He started to work on
his stamp collection when the telephone rang. It was Frank Knox,
Secretary of the Navy, calling to inform the President that

(00:41):
the nation was under attack. The Japanese were bombing Pearl Harbor.
Fdr shouted no, no, in a loud voice. The surprise
attack on one of America's most strategic naval bases shocked
the nation and the world. It would turn out to
be the worst military defeat in American history, killing twenty

(01:03):
four one hundred and three soldiers, sailors, and civilians. The
Japanese damaged or destroyed nineteen U. S. Navy ships, including
eight battleships, and more than three hundred airplanes. It was
the worst day of Roosevelt's presidency, and by all accounts,
the worst day of his life. The state of world

(01:27):
affairs was equally grim. Hitler and the Nazis controlled Europe
and North Africa, England and Russia were hanging.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
On for dear life.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
This was not Roosevelt's first brush with war. He was
the under Secretary of the Navy during World War One.
He knew that this was no time for Americans to
wallow in pity or despair.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
He had work to do. He had a nation to rally.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
Roosevelt's two speech writers were in New York at the
time of the attack on Pearl Harbor and did not
help him with the most consequential speech of his presidency.
He knew this speech had to be written by himself.
Early that Sunday evening, he called in his secretary, Grace Tully,
and dictated the first draft without hesitation or second thoughts.

(02:23):
It was concise. It was clear Roosevelt understood the speech
had to match the moment. Then Roosevelt began light editing,
making just a few crucial changes by hand. The most
important was the substitution of one word that change the
nature and character of the speech. The original draft read

(02:49):
a day that will Live in history. The edited and
final version read A day that will live in Infamy,
providing the speech its most amus frase and giving birth
to the term the Day of Infamy speech, which he
delivered to a joint session of Congress in the early

(03:09):
afternoon of December eighth, nineteen forty one. The speech was
a mere five hundred and eighteen words and lasted just
six and a half minutes. It was simulcast on radio
across the country. This was, of course, before television and
cable and the Internet. An astounding eighty one percent of

(03:30):
Americans gathered around their radios to hear the president's address,
the largest audience ever compiled in American history. Within an hour,
Congress voted to declare war on the Empire of Japan.
The vote was eighty two to zero in the Senate
and three hundred and eighty eight to one in the House.

(03:53):
Montana Representative Jeanette Rankin, the first woman ever elected to
Congress and a lifelong pacifist, was the lone no vote.
When Germany and Italy declared war on the United States
just a few days later, the United States quickly reciprocated.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
America was at war once again.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
Here is the Day of Infamy speech as it happened
in the early afternoon of December eighth, nineteen forty one.

Speaker 3 (04:25):
Yesterday, December seventh, nineteen forty one.

Speaker 4 (04:32):
A date which will live in infamy.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked
by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation and
at solicitation of still in conversation with its government and

(05:06):
its emperor, looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Speaker 4 (05:13):
Indeed, one hour after.

Speaker 3 (05:17):
Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island
of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and
his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal

(05:37):
reply to a recent American message.

Speaker 4 (05:42):
And while this reply.

Speaker 3 (05:44):
Stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations,
it contained no threat or hint of war or of
armed attawn.

Speaker 4 (06:02):
It will be recorded that the distance.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
Of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack
was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During
the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to

(06:28):
deceive the United States by false statements and expressions.

Speaker 4 (06:33):
Of folk or continued peace.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe
damage to American naval and military forces.

Speaker 4 (06:51):
I regret to tell you that very many American lives
have been lost.

Speaker 3 (06:58):
In addition, American ships have been ported torpedo on the
high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu. Japan has therefore
undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The

(07:20):
facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people
of the United States have already formed their opinions and
well understand the implications for the very light and safety

(07:41):
of our nation. As Commander in Chief of the Army
and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken.

Speaker 4 (07:51):
For our defense. But always will our.

Speaker 3 (07:56):
Whole nation remember the cor of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome
this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might.

Speaker 4 (08:20):
Will win through to absolute visual.

Speaker 3 (08:27):
I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress
and of the people when I assert that we will
not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make
it very certain that this form our treachery shall never

(08:48):
again endanger it.

Speaker 4 (08:54):
Hostilities exist.

Speaker 3 (08:58):
There is no blinking at the fact that our people
our territory and our interests are in grave danger. With
confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of
our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph.

Speaker 4 (09:24):
So help us God. I ask that the Congress declare.

Speaker 3 (09:34):
That since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday,
December seventh, nineteen forty one, a state of war has
existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

Speaker 1 (10:02):
And that rousing applause, Well, that wasn't just in the chamber.
Americans across the country were applauding in front of their
radio sets. I know because my mom told me the story.
She had been listening herself in West New York, New Jersey,
with her family and several others.

Speaker 2 (10:19):
Who was a moment she told me she'd never forget.

Speaker 1 (10:23):
With confidence, FDR said in our armed services, with the
unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph.

Speaker 2 (10:32):
So help us God.

Speaker 1 (10:34):
The story of the Day of Infamy speech how it
came to be here on our American Stories