Pearl Harbor was an event that took place on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. At 7:55 am on December 7, 1941, 360 warplanes of the Imperial Japanese Navy made an unexpected attack on Pearl Harbor, a U.S. naval base containing the majority of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. After the attack most of the ships were deemed completely non-operational. This was a shock to Americans who had implemented isolationist policies since the end of World War I. Following the attack, 2,600 Americans died and another 1,200 were seriously injured. The Japanese, in contrast, lost thirty planes and less than one hundred men. It was a tragedy for the United States, but, more importantly, none of the US aircraft carriers were damaged; this is due to the fact that they were doing training exercises at that time. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Japanese justification for attacking Pearl Harbor was the desire for British Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines to expand their sphere of influence over the Pacific and East Asia as a whole. The Japanese took great inspiration for the attack from the similar actions of the British at the Battle of Taranto, where the Royal Navy used a similar Naval Air Arms approach to knock out the Italian fleet, ending their threat in the Mediterranean Sea. it could not fight a battle of attrition with the United States. They believed, like the British, that if they could deliver a fatal blow to the American fleet, it could bring them to the negotiating table. This is why Admiral Yamamoto and his war planners ultimately decided to adopt an approach similar to that used in the Battle of Taranto, which they studied intensively; ultimately this approach failed to achieve its goal. Despite a loss to the Americans, with major setbacks due to the loss of so many capital ships, strategically the attack failed to achieve its objectives. Without any loss of American aircraft carriers, without the destruction of the fuel depot on the island, and without the destruction of some of the refloated and repaired Capitol ships, the U.S. Navy was able to deploy a combat presence on the Imperial Japanese Navy. Pearl Harbor also had a huge impact on the US economy. After the attack was over, the country decided it was time for war. It says in Pearl Harbor.com "After the smoke cleared from Pearl Harbor, the entire country found itself in war mode." President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “No matter how long it takes to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous strength will prevail until absolute victory.” The event pushed the Americans to unite and fight the Japanese. On military.com it says that "Pearl Harbor united a divided nation and resulted in a sincere American." When the Pearl Harbor event happened, all Americans were ready for war. On USnews.com it says that "America is moving quickly to put itself on a war footing." The American economy will change in a few days. Visitpearlharbor.org states that “the American economy has rapidly become a war economy.” To help military taxes were increased. Visitpearlharbor.org states: “Taxes were raised to help pay for the war, war bonds were issued, and even banks purchased billions of dollars in bonds to support the war.” The economy changed in a few days due to the Pearl Harbor event..