America Woke Up Furious

The day after the attack, Roosevelt delivered his "Day of Infamy" speech to Congress. The vote for war was nearly unanimous. The lone holdout was Jeannette Rankin of Montana, a pacifist who had also voted against entering World War I, making her the only member of Congress to vote against both world wars.

Overnight, American isolationism evaporated. Recruiting offices were flooded with volunteers. Factories switched from cars to tanks. A nation that had refused to enter WWII for two years was suddenly united in rage. Japan's attack accomplished the opposite of its intent: it guaranteed total war, the one thing Yamamoto had feared most.