September 20, 2024 • 10 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, on the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, FDR's speechwriting team wasn't in Washington. Roosevelt, with the help of a few aides, penned the most important speech of his presidency, and one of the most important speeches in American history.
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Episode Transcript
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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.
It was Sunday afternoon on December seventh, nineteen forty one,
and President Franklin Delanor Roosevelt had just finished eating lunch
in his second floors study in the White House. He
(00:32):
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 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
(00:54):
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 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.
(01:17):
It was the worst day of Roosevelt's presidency, and by
all accounts, the worst day of his life. The state
of world affairs was equally grim. Hitler and the Nazis
controlled Europe. In North Africa, England, and Russia were hanging
on for dear life. This was not Roosevelt's first brush
(01:42):
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. He
had work to do. He had a nation to rally.
Roosevelt's two speech writers were in New York at the
time of the attack on Pearl Harbor and did not
(02:04):
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.
It was concise. It was clear Roosevelt understood the speech
(02:29):
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. The 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 famous phrase 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
(03:31):
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 life long 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.
America was at war once again. Here is the Day
(04:16):
of Infamy speech as it happened in the early afternoon
of December eighth, nineteen forty one.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yesterday, December seventh, nineteen forty one, a date which will
live in infamy. The United States of America was suddenly
and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the
(04:47):
Empire of Japan. The United States was at peace with
that nation and at solicitation of still in conversation with
its government and its emperor, looking toward the maintenance of
(05:10):
peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air
squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu,
the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague
(05:32):
delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to
a recent American message. And while this reply stated that
it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it
(05:52):
contained no threat or hint of war or of armed town.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from
Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned
(06:15):
many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time,
the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United
States by false statements and expressions of folk or continued peace.
(06:38):
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe
damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to
tell you that very many American lives had been lost.
In addition, American ships have been reported torpedo on the
(07:01):
high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu. Japan has therefore
undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The
facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people
(07:29):
of the United States have already formed their opinions and
well understand the implications for the very light and safety
of our nation. As Commander in Chief of the Army
and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken
(07:51):
for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember
the count of the onslaught against us. No matter how
long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion,
(08:16):
the American people, in their righteous might, will win through
to absolute visual 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,
(08:41):
but will make it very certain that this form our
treachery shall never again endanger it. Hostilities exist. There is
no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory
(09:04):
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. So help us God.
(09:29):
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked
and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, nineteen
forty one, a state of war has existed between the
(09:55):
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. It was a moment
she told me she'd never forget. With confidence, FDR said,
(10:25):
in our armed services, with the unbounding determination of our people,
we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help us God.
The story of the Day of Infamy speech, how it
came to be here on our American Stories
And we continue with our American stories. Up next, the
story of how the Day of Infamy speech came to be.
It was Sunday afternoon on December seventh, nineteen forty one,
and President Franklin Delanor Roosevelt had just finished eating lunch
in his second floors study in the White House. He
(00:32):
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 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
(00:54):
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 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.
(01:17):
It was the worst day of Roosevelt's presidency, and by
all accounts, the worst day of his life. The state
of world affairs was equally grim. Hitler and the Nazis
controlled Europe. In North Africa, England, and Russia were hanging
on for dear life. This was not Roosevelt's first brush
(01:42):
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. He
had work to do. He had a nation to rally.
Roosevelt's two speech writers were in New York at the
time of the attack on Pearl Harbor and did not
(02:04):
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.
It was concise. It was clear Roosevelt understood the speech
(02:29):
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. The 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 famous phrase 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
(03:31):
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 life long 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.
America was at war once again. Here is the Day
(04:16):
of Infamy speech as it happened in the early afternoon
of December eighth, nineteen forty one.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yesterday, December seventh, nineteen forty one, a date which will
live in infamy. The United States of America was suddenly
and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the
(04:47):
Empire of Japan. The United States was at peace with
that nation and at solicitation of still in conversation with
its government and its emperor, looking toward the maintenance of
(05:10):
peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air
squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu,
the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague
(05:32):
delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to
a recent American message. And while this reply stated that
it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it
(05:52):
contained no threat or hint of war or of armed town.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from
Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned
(06:15):
many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time,
the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United
States by false statements and expressions of folk or continued peace.
(06:38):
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe
damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to
tell you that very many American lives had been lost.
In addition, American ships have been reported torpedo on the
(07:01):
high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu. Japan has therefore
undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The
facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people
(07:29):
of the United States have already formed their opinions and
well understand the implications for the very light and safety
of our nation. As Commander in Chief of the Army
and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken
(07:51):
for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember
the count of the onslaught against us. No matter how
long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion,
(08:16):
the American people, in their righteous might, will win through
to absolute visual 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,
(08:41):
but will make it very certain that this form our
treachery shall never again endanger it. Hostilities exist. There is
no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory
(09:04):
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. So help us God.
(09:29):
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked
and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, nineteen
forty one, a state of war has existed between the
(09:55):
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. It was a moment
she told me she'd never forget. With confidence, FDR said,
(10:25):
in our armed services, with the unbounding determination of our people,
we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help us God.
The story of the Day of Infamy speech, how it
came to be here on our American Stories
Host
Lee Habeeb
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