Pearl Harbor and the USA

Written by Ariane Knüsel

Contents	Handout of FDR’s “Infamy” Speech, Powerpoint presentation on US propaganda posters, video by the US government “Challenge to Democracy” on Japanese American Internment
Suitable for	Gymnasium
Prerequisites	Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Time	2 lessons with homework (first lesson: discussion of posters as sources and beginning of analysis in groups; homework: analysis of individual posters in groups; second lesson: discussion of analysis in class)

What's it about?

These lessons deal with the American reaction to Pearl Harbor and the Pacific War as a race war. Students can analyse how the war was justified in FDR’s speech and how Roosevelt portrayed Japan and the USA. The video was part of the US government’s attempt to justify the internment of Japanese Americans during the war. Students should pay attention to portrayals of American and Japanese values and the way the video attempted to justify the internment. The selection of propaganda posters shows various aspects of racialization and dehumanisation of the Japanese in US propaganda. The posters can be analysed by students in groups or together as a class.

Downloads

Pearl Harbor and the USA
	Anti-Japanese Propaganda Posters	Powerpoint [13 MB]
	Challenge to Democracy	mp4 [74 MB]
	FDR Infamy Speech	Word [132 KB] · PDF [9 KB]