The Generation to Remember

   The 1940’s the generation to remember. It was the decade that brought the nation together for the greatest war known to man, World War II.  The event that finally brought United States into the war was the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  The president of the time was Franklin Roosevelt, who had won his third term in office.  During this time there were many issues, such as the Zoot Suit Riots.

   The United States of America knew that an attack from the Japanese was imminent, but they did not know where the attack was going to be.  On Sunday, December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise strike on the island of O ‘ahu.  The attack from Japan was the last move that made Americans leave their isolation period. After the attack President Roosevelt declared December 7th a “date which will live in infamy”.  Congress then declared war on Japan, finally moving the United States into World War II.  After the attack, President Roosevelt relocated 110,000 Japanese-Americans to internment camps.

   The president during the 1940’s was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, or FDR.  Roosevelt was the 32nd president.  President Roosevelt had won his third term in office, from 1941–1945.  During World War II, Roosevelt gave Lend-Lease aid to Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Great Britain.  After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt moved over 110,000 Japanese-Americans to interment cams with Executive order 9066, which let military commanders make military bases in to what is called “exclusion areas”.  Roosevelt then conversed with the American people to join the war. Then on January 1941 he delivered his Four Freedoms speech, which said the four fundamental freedoms every human should enjoy.  After the Japanese attacked, most of the nation unified under Roosevelt to fight in the war.

  Also during this time there were the Zoot Suit Riots, which were riots in Los Angeles, California during World War II. The riots were between sailors, Marines and Latino youths.  The riots were between the Mexican American and the American servicemen.  On May 31, 1943, a clash between sailors and Latino youths broke out.  During this time the press had said that zoot suitors and gangsters were the same thing.  On June 3, 1943 sailors had said that Mexican-American Zoot Suitors, that the zoot suitors had attacked them first.  Later that same day some 200 sailors stripped the clothing of many Mexican-Americans.  The police made few arrests.  For many nights after that, sailors, joined soldiers and civilians, invaded barrios and assaulting any and all Latinos.  After many other riots the Los Angeles city council issued an ordinance, banning all zoot suit wearing.

  The 1940’s was a decade of war and segregation.  The Japanese had brought America into the world war at the time, and because of that many Japanese-Americans were put into interment camps.  The 1940’s would lead to the end of isolationism in America. The 40’s decade had many racial problems being the internment camps for the Japanese, to the Zoot Suit Riots involving Mexican-Americans youths

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Bibliography: Attack on Pearl Harbor:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor ; Article Name: Attack on Pearl Harbor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor#Approach_and_attack ; Article Name: Approach and Attack

President Roosevelt: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt ; Article Name: Franklin D. Roosevelt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt#Third_term.2C_1941.E2.80.931945 ; Article Name: Third Term

The Zoot Suit Riots:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_Suit_Riots ; Article Name: Zoot Suit Riots
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_Suit_Riots#History ; Article Name: History
http://www.laalmanac.com/history/hi07t.htm ; Article Name: Los Angeles Zoot Suit Riots