Updated 05-21-2022

Read “Massachusetts Passes Genocide Education Legislation" by Emerging America's Rich Cairn in June's Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives The Volunteer. 

Emerging America has two teacher-assembled sets of primary sources that offer rich detail and related classroom activities to engage student inquiry about Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7 and the events that followed.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 marked the most devastating foreign assault ever on American soil. Over 2,000 soldiers and sailors were killed and 1,000 wounded. The following primary source set on the attack depicts both the attack itself and its aftermath. The pictures, videos, and maps contained in the set paint a vivid picture of the immense loss of life and impact on the American people. By examining these primary sources, students will gain an understanding of:

The December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii resulted in over 2,000 soldiers and sailors killed and 1,000 wounded. The attack sparked the U.S. declaration of war on Japan and the official start of American involvement in World War II. Even as the loss of life caused widespread grief, the assault on American soil drove intense patriotism and spurred subsequent reactionary behavior against Japanese-Americans. Primary sources in this set explore proximate impacts on the street.