Question

select the correct answer.
what was president roosevelts main purpose in giving his address to congress after the attack on pearl harbor?

he was voicing his anger over japans actions.
he was asking us congress to declare war on japan.
he was asking us congress to reconsider going to war.
he was trying to calm americans after the horrifying tragedy.

Explanation:

Analyze the historical context of the address

On December 8, 1941, the day after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his famous "Infamy Speech" to a joint session of the US Congress. Under the US Constitution, only Congress has the formal power to declare war.

Determine the primary objective of the speech

While Roosevelt expressed outrage and sought to reassure the American public, his constitutional and strategic objective in addressing Congress was to request a formal declaration of war against the Empire of Japan, which Congress approved almost unanimously immediately following the address.

Evaluate the given options

• Option 1: Voicing anger was a personal and rhetorical element, but not the primary constitutional purpose of addressing Congress.
• Option 2: Asking Congress to declare war directly matches the main constitutional purpose of the address.
• Option 3: He was not asking Congress to reconsider, as the US had previously maintained a policy of neutrality and was now directly attacked.
• Option 4: While the speech rallied and united the public, the formal address to Congress was specifically designed to initiate the declaration of war.

Answer:

• He was voicing his anger over Japan's actions.
• He was asking US Congress to declare war on Japan. (Correct answer)
• He was asking US Congress to reconsider going to war.
• He was trying to calm Americans after the horrifying tragedy.