About 360 Japanese planes launched from six different aircraft carriers attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii. The Sunday morning attack achieved total surprise. The battleships Arizona and Oklahoma were destroyed. The California, Nevada, and West Virginia sunk in shallow water. Numerous other vessels were also damaged. More than 180 aircraft were destroyed. More than 2,300 military personnel were killed and about another 1,100 injured. The Japanese lost fewer than 100 men.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet was crippled by the attack, but the three fleet aircraft carriers were not in port at the time of the attack. The Japanese also missed the opportunity to destroy large oil storage facilities on the island.

On December 8, President Roosevelt asked Congress for a declaration of war against Japan, which was granted with only one dissenting vote. The attack unified popular support for the war and served as a rallying cry throughout the conflict.

Today, the National Park Service runs the USS Arizona Memorial, which “is the final resting place for many of the battleship’s 1,177 crew members” and “commemorates the site where World War II began for the United States”.

Related Links

• Pearl Harbor
  History.com presents videos, a photo gallery, and links to related articles on Pearl Harbor and World War II. Interactive feature “Inside WWII” allows you to explore topics.
• “A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”: FDR Asks for a Declaration of War
  The “History Matters” website offers the beginning of FDR’s speech to Congress asking for a declaration of war. Text and audio available.
• USS Arizona
  National Park Service site for the USS Arizona Memorial. Information about visiting the memorial is available along with articles, photos, and videos about the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Constitution is the backbone of the United States government. It brought the federal government into being, including its three branches – executive, judicial, and legislative – and the offices that accompany them – the Presidency, Congress, and the Supreme Court. The Constitution is also a “living document” that continues to help shape our government today and is continually adapted to changes in our society.

The Constitution came about in the late 1780s. At that time, the thirteen new states (based on the original thirteen colonies) were governed by the Articles of Confederation, which were created following America’s independence from Britain. But the Articles did not provide for a strong, unified government that could deal with the challenges facing the new nation. So in 1787, the Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia. Delegates from all thirteen states attended the Convention.

Not all of the delegates agreed on what kind of government America should have. Some wanted the states to have all the power, while others wanted a single government to control everything. The smaller states wanted equal representation in the government, while the larger states wanted representation based on population. A compromise was reached that gave states the rights that were not reserved for the main, or federal, government. A series of checks and balances were set up among the branches of the federal government to prevent any one of them from becoming too powerful. A two-part Congress was created, with a Senate that had equal representation of the states and a House of Representatives where representation is based on states’ populations. But the U.S. Constitution gave the true power to the American citizens. To make sure the rights of the citizens were protected, ten amendments were added to the end of the Constitution that spelled out the freedoms that U.S. citizens would have. This became known as the Bill of Rights.

Related Links

• The Constitution of the United States of America
  The entire text of the Constitution, including the Preamble, the Bill of Rights, and all the Amendments.
• The National Constitution Center
  To learn more about Constitution Day and the events surrounding it this year, check out the National Constitution Center’s site.
• The Charters of Freedom: Constitution of the United States
  Explore the history and issues behind the creation of the Constitution.

During Women’s History Month and Day, we take a close look at the obvious importance of women in history. We also take time to examine how to improve the rights of women now and into the future.

The idea of honoring women in March had been around for decades before either the U.N. or U.S. declarations. In fact, for the past 90 years in Russia, March 8 has been set aside to grant special recognition to women and their role in history. On March 8, 1917, during World War I, Russian women in St. Petersburg helped lead an uprising against the Czar, and so the day eventually became a Soviet Russian day of memorial for the role of women in the Russian Revolution.

Related Links

• Women Watch: International Women’s Day
  Investigate the history of International Women’s Day and the themes focused on in different years by the United Nations.
• The Birth of Women’s History Month
  Read a brief history of Women’s History Month in the United States.
• The National Women’s History Project: National Women’s History Month 2011
  Follow news and events pertaining to National Women’s History Month. NWHP recognizes and celebrates the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing information and educational materials and programs.
• Women’s History Month
  Explore biographies, videos, photo galleries, and related stories such as Famous Firsts in American Women’s History and The Fight for Women’s Suffrage. From History.com.

Parades are held in some communities to celebrate the holiday. Some people see the day as a reason to learn about the presidents. But Presidents’ Day is also well-known as a day when many businesses hold sales. In fact, it is partially through the advertising of three-day weekend sales that the holiday became known as Presidents’ Day.

Related Links

• By George, IT IS Washington’s Birthday
  Read about the history of Presidents’ Day, how its meaning has changed over time, and the effect that advertisers have had on the holiday.
• American Experience: The Presidents
  Explore this PBS site on the presidents for a good general overview of each.
• Presidents of the United States
  Learn about Washington, Lincoln, and all of the U.S. presidents at this site that contains biographies for each; includes a slide show.
• Presidents Day: History.com
  The website of History.com includes articles and videos on key presidents from Washington to Obama.