Was the US Ready for Pearl Harbor?

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"This nation will remain a neutral nation, but I cannot ask that every American remain neutral in thought as well."

- President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1939

Was the United States Ready for Pearl Harbor? Web Exercise

Read:

The United States military was largely taken by surprise at Pearl Harbor in 1941, although there had been some indication that the Japanese might be planning an attack. This lesson asks you to consider the United States' level of preparedness for the attack and to think about what the U.S. could have done to be better prepared. You will conclude by writing letters to American military commanders in the summer of 1941, suggesting what they might do to prepare for a Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. And you will assume the role of either a US Government official or a Japanese Government official in a presentation and debate.

Research and Respond:

Use the attached document to guide you through the webquest.

Go to the next page to submit your web quest worksheet.