On December 8th, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a 7 minute long speech that has been named one of the major turning points in all of American history. On December 7th, the day prior to the speech given by FDR, the country of Japan that was at peace with the United States, attacked the island of Oahu via naval and air squadrons and demolished United States military site Pearl Harbor. The disastrous event that occurred on that day called for the President of the United States to present the idea of going to war with the Japanese in front of the Vice President, Speaker of the House, Members of the Senate and Members of the House of Representatives in Washington D.C.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt needed to not only console the nation after this horrific attack, but needed to reinforce his role as Commander in Chief of the United States with certainty and intensity. In this famous speech, he blatantly admits that there are enemies of the United States but appeals to the listeners emotional distress and reassures that this powerful country will stay strong to their core beliefs and not be walked upon. President Roosevelt uses logos while delivering this informative speech and realigns the American people’s mentality by saying with confidence that with “the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph---so help us God.”
President Roosevelt’s lexical choice was not only straightforward, but it was extremely clear and confident. His strong word choices such as “deliberately”, “offensive”, “premeditated”, and “dastardly” show his authority in the situation and establish his credibility. While the attacks on Pearl Harbor were inevitable, President Roosevelt created a sense of safety throughout his country with his precision, direct plan of attack and beaming confidence.
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