What was the purpose of the speech? On December 7, 1941, the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was subject to a surprise attack. In less than two hours, the US Pacific Fleet was devastated and more than 3,500 Americans were killed or wounded. The attack led to the United States' entry into World War II. Though the diplomatic relationship between the United States and Japan had been strained, it was not yet broken at the time of the attack.
On December 8, at 12:30 p.m., President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress and, via radio, the nation.a. to propose a plan to establish a peaceful solution between the us and japan b. to present advances in weapons technology c. to request funding d. to repair and restore pearl harbor e. to request a declaration of war on japan