158-641: The Watts riots , sometimes referred to as the Watts Rebellion or Watts Uprising , took place in the Watts neighborhood and its surrounding areas of Los Angeles from August 11 to 16, 1965. The riots were motivated by anger at the racist and abusive practices of the Los Angeles Police Department , as well as grievances over employment discrimination, residential segregation, and poverty in L.A. On August 11, 1965, Marquette Frye,
316-413: A Type A midget submarine for transport to the waters off Oahu. The five I-boats left Kure Naval District on November 25, 1941. On December 6, they came to within 10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi) of the mouth of Pearl Harbor and launched their midget subs at about 01:00 local time on December 7. At 03:42 Hawaiian time, the minesweeper Condor spotted a midget submarine periscope southwest of
474-467: A musical comedy called "Lonesome Town," which was set in an imaginary place called Watts, California, in the year 1902. The endeavor, with music by J.A. Rayne and book by Judson D. Brusie, ran for 88 performances at the Circle Theatre, 1825 Broadway, from January 20 through April 24, 1908. It was produced by the vaudeville team of Kolb and Dill – Clarence Kolb and Max Dill . In response to
632-652: A "green streets" project to improve pedestrian safety and environmental quality in the area, beginning in 2016. Watts suffered further in the 1970s, as gangs gained strength and raised the level of violence in the neighborhood. Between 1989 and 2005, police reported more than 500 homicides in Watts, most of them gang-related and tied to wars over control of the lucrative illicit market created by illegal drugs. Four of Watts's influential gangs – Watts Cirkle City Piru , Grape Street Watts Crips , Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods , and PJ Watts Crips – formed
790-415: A 21-year-old African-American man, was pulled over for drunk driving . After he failed a field sobriety test, officers attempted to arrest him. Marquette resisted arrest, with assistance from his mother, Rena Frye; a physical confrontation ensued in which Marquette was struck in the face with a baton. Meanwhile, a crowd of onlookers had gathered. Rumors spread that the police had kicked a pregnant woman who
948-744: A Beginning?: A Report by the Governor's Commission on the Los Angeles Riots, 1965 . The McCone Commission identified the root causes of the riots to be high unemployment, poor schools, and related inferior living conditions that were endured by African Americans in Watts. Recommendations for addressing these problems included "emergency literacy and preschool programs, improved police-community ties, increased low-income housing, more job-training projects, upgraded health-care services, more efficient public transportation, and many more." Most of these recommendations were never implemented. Marquette Frye
1106-594: A Japanese task force (the Striking Force ) of six aircraft carriers – Akagi , Kaga , Sōryū , Hiryū , Shōkaku , and Zuikaku – departed Hittokapu Bay on Etorofu (now Iterup) Island in the Kuril Islands , en route to a position northwest of Hawaii, intending to launch its 408 aircraft to attack Pearl Harbor: 360 for the two attack waves and 48 on defensive combat air patrol (CAP), including nine fighters from
1264-608: A Peace Treaty agreement, known as the Watts truce on April 26, 1992. Key hallmarks of the pact continue to influence life in Watts to date, with colors and territory having little to do with gang-related crime. Beginning in the 1980s, those African Americans who could leave Watts moved to other suburban locations in the Antelope Valley , the Inland Empire , the San Gabriel Valley , Orange County and
1422-567: A bad reputation in Southern California, somehow or other ... a good many of us felt that the liquor element left a black mark upon the community's name. ... Towns are something like people. They can live up to a good name easier than they can live down a bad name." A subdivision with the name Watts was platted, possibly by the Golden State Realty Company, between 1903 and 1905, when the settlement had
1580-618: A consequence, Japan needed access to strategically important resources (e.g. iron, oil) that could not be extracted at sufficient levels in the home islands. Although Japan had begun to take a hostile stance against the United States after the rejection of the Racial Equality Proposal , the relationship between the two countries was cordial enough that they remained trading partners. Tensions did not seriously grow until Japan's invasion of Manchuria in 1931 . Over
1738-596: A fire department, a weekly newspaper" (the Watts Advertiser ), and it was completing a $ 12,000 city hall . It had "the best of public schools, churches of the leading denominations, the principal fraternal orders , a chamber of commerce and a good government league ." That year, business enterprises included the California Gold Recovery Company, which manufactured a machine used in mining districts to capture " flour gold ," which
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#17327804678031896-480: A full-scale battle against the first responders . Rioters tore up sidewalks and bricks to hurl at Guardsmen and police, and to smash their vehicles. Those actively participating in the riots started physical fights with police and blocked Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) firefighters from using fire hoses on protesters and burning buildings. Arson and looting were largely confined to local white-owned stores and businesses that were said to have caused resentment in
2054-594: A gathering place along the 25.5-mile (41.0 km) funeral procession from the memorial for Nipsey Hussle at the Staples Center that wound through the streets of South L.A. At times, the crowd flooded the street creating gridlock . The Mapping L.A. project of the Los Angeles Times states as follows: The neighborhood's irregular street boundaries follow the Los Angeles city limits on
2212-459: A home on an all-white street, sell or rent it to a black family, and then buy up the remaining homes from Caucasians at cut-rate prices, then sell them to housing-hungry black families at hefty profits. The Rumford Fair Housing Act, designed to remedy residential segregation, was overturned by Proposition 14 in 1964, which was sponsored by the California real estate industry, and supported by
2370-763: A library branch bond, and a 3,600 square feet (330 m ) Watts Branch opened in 1960. In 1991 the Los Angeles City Council approved a measure, backed by the Friends of the Watts Branch Library, the 15th District Council Office, and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) of the City of Los Angeles, to build a new library as a part of the 1.3 acres (0.53 ha) Watts Civic Center. $ 1.3 million from Proposition 1,
2528-461: A majority of white voters. Psychiatrist and civil rights activist Alvin Poussaint considered Proposition 14 to be one of the causes of black rebellion in Watts. In 1950, William H. Parker was appointed and sworn in as Los Angeles Chief of Police. After a major scandal called Bloody Christmas of 1951 , Parker pushed for more independence from political pressures that would enable him to create
2686-423: A more professionalized police force. The public supported him and voted for charter changes that isolated the police department from the rest of the city government. Despite its reform and having a professionalized, military-like police force, William Parker's LAPD faced repeated criticism from the city's Latino and black residents for police brutality – resulting from his recruiting of officers from
2844-411: A newly assigned officer at the thinly manned Intercept Center, presumed it was the scheduled arrival of six B-17 bombers from California. The Japanese planes were approaching from a direction very close (only a few degrees difference) to the bombers, and while the operators had never seen a formation as large on radar, they neglected to tell Tyler of its size. Tyler, for security reasons, could not tell
3002-539: A peace compromise. Striking the Pacific Fleet at anchor in Pearl Harbor had two distinct disadvantages: the targeted ships would be in very shallow water, so it would be relatively easy to salvage and possibly repair them, and most of the crews would survive the attack since many would be on shore leave or would be rescued from the harbor. A further important disadvantage was the absence of all three of
3160-490: A population of about 150 people. In 1905 lots were being sold by that firm for prices ranging from $ 100 to $ 200: The terms were advertised at a dollar as down payment and a dollar a month thereafter, with the company claiming there would be "no interest and no taxes." The Watts Lumber Company had a plan of "easy payments" which "enabled those desiring houses in the little settlement to secure their material and to build and occupy their houses at once." After 1903, Watts saw
3318-536: A radio message from a midget submarine at 00:41 on December 8 claiming to have damaged one or more large warships inside Pearl Harbor. In 1992, 2000, and 2001 Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory 's submersibles found the wreck of the fifth midget submarine lying in three parts outside Pearl Harbor. The wreck was in the debris field where much surplus American equipment had been dumped after the war, including vehicles and landing craft. Both of its torpedoes were missing. This correlates with reports of two torpedoes fired at
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#17327804678033476-512: A ranch south of the city through which the Salt Lake railroad passes, and the station of Watts is named for him." In 1919, Watts Mayor Z. A. Towne said that the settlement was named after a widow who lived on ten acres which was later occupied by a Pacific Electric power house . She later moved to Arlington, California , Towne said. In 1912 and 1913, a movement was afoot to change the name of Watts because, as one headline writer put it,
3634-493: A rumor they had kicked a pregnant woman, angry mobs formed. As the situation intensified, growing crowds of local residents watching the exchange began yelling and throwing objects at the police officers. Frye's mother and brother fought with the officers and eventually were arrested along with Marquette Frye. After the arrests of Price and her sons, the Frye brothers, the crowd continued to grow along Avalon Boulevard. Police came to
3792-426: A struggle with rioters, and a Long Beach Police Department officer was shot by another police officer during a scuffle with rioters. 23 out of the 34 people killed in the riots were shot by LAPD officers or National Guardsmen. Debate rose quickly over what had taken place in Watts, as the area was known to be under a great deal of racial and social tension. Reactions and reasoning about the riots greatly varied based on
3950-420: A vigorous debate inside the government over how, and indeed whether, to notify Washington of Japan's intention to break off negotiations and start a war, including a December 7 entry in the war diary saying, "[O]ur deceptive diplomacy is steadily proceeding toward success." Of this, Iguchi said, "The diary shows that the army and navy did not want to give any proper declaration of war, or indeed prior notice even of
4108-592: A vote of 1,338 to 535. It was the heaviest vote ever in Watts, with 1,933 voters at the polls of the 2,513 registered. Thus 23,000 more people were added to Los Angeles when the decision was put into effect on June 1 of that year. Mayor L.A. Edwards of Watts led the fight for consolidation with Los Angeles. Opposed were the Watts Chamber of Commerce, the Farmers and Merchants Bank, the Taxpayers League,
4266-492: Is considered a low figure for both the city and the county. The percentage of those residents with less than a high school diploma was high in comparison with the county at large. Schools within Watts are as follows: King Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science opened in bungalows of Jordan in 1982. In 1999 it moved to a standalone campus in Willowbrook . In May 2013, Wiegand Avenue Elementary School became
4424-529: Is fine gold floating on a liquid surface. In 1925, Watts had a pump-manufacturing plant, a machine shop , two sash-and-door plants, and a pickle works. There was a steel plant, McClintic Marshal Company, which covered fifteen acres and employed 180 men. A new California Thorn Cordage factory was set to hire five hundred men. A new 34-room hotel was going up on West Main Street. In a special election on April 2, 1926, Watts residents decided to enter Los Angeles by
4582-408: Is situated on the 1843 Rancho La Tajauta Mexican land grant. As on all ranchos , the principal vocation at that time was grazing and beef production. There were household settlers in the area as early as 1882, and in 1904, the population was counted as 65 people; a year later it was 1,651. C.V. Bartow of Long Beach was noted as one of the founders of Watts. In 1904, it was reported that Watts
4740-437: Is sometimes described as a declaration of war. While it was viewed by a number of senior American government and military officials as a very strong indicator negotiations were likely to be terminated and that war might break out at any moment, it neither declared war nor severed diplomatic relations. A declaration of war was printed on the front page of Japan's newspapers in the evening edition of December 8 (late December 7 in
4898-483: The 1940 British air attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto intensively. Over the next several months, pilots were trained, equipment was adapted, and intelligence was collected. Despite these preparations, Emperor Hirohito did not approve the attack plan until November 5, after the third of four Imperial Conferences called to consider the matter. At first, he hesitated to engage in war but eventually authorized
Watts riots - Misplaced Pages Continue
5056-706: The California Supreme Court reinstated the Rumford Fair Housing Act in the Reitman v. Mulkey case (a decision affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court the following year), declaring the amendment to violate the US constitution and laws. A variety of opinions and explanations were published. Public opinion polls studied in the few years after the riot showed that a majority believed the riots were linked to communist groups who were active in
5214-601: The Kido Butai ), with the attack on Kaneohe. A total of 353 Japanese planes reached Oahu in two waves. Slow, vulnerable torpedo bombers led the first wave, exploiting the first moments of surprise to attack the most important ships present (the battleships), while dive bombers attacked American air bases across Oahu, starting with Hickam Field , the largest, and Wheeler Field , the main United States Army Air Forces fighter base. The 171 planes in
5372-562: The Ku Klux Klan and the Watts Welfare League. Edwards was re-elected to the outgoing Watts Board of Trustees, the other winners being William Booth, Robert Rhoads and James West. Watts did not become predominantly black until the 1940s. Before then, there were some African American residents, many of whom were Pullman car porters and cooks. Schoolroom photos from 1909 and 1911 show only two or three black faces among
5530-489: The Long Beach Line was shut down in 1961, severing the area's primary transportation link to jobs and services in the greater region. Longstanding resentment by Los Angeles's working class black community over discriminatory treatment by police and inadequate public services (especially schools and hospitals) exploded on August 11, 1965, into what were commonly known as the Watts riots . The event that precipitated
5688-642: The Nanking Massacre swung Western public opinion sharply against Japan. The United States unsuccessfully proposed a joint action with the United Kingdom to blockade Japan. In 1938, following an appeal by President Roosevelt, American companies stopped providing Japan with implements of war. In 1940, Japan invaded French Indochina , attempting to stymie the flow of supplies reaching China. The United States halted shipments of airplanes, parts, machine tools , and aviation gasoline to Japan, which
5846-641: The Philippines , taking both actions in the hope of discouraging Japanese aggression in the Far East. Because the Japanese high command was mistakenly certain any attack on the United Kingdom's Southeast Asian colonies , including Singapore, would bring the United States into the war, a devastating preventive strike appeared to be the only way to prevent American naval interference. An invasion of
6004-413: The Philippines , which they felt were close to or within their sphere of influence . At the same time, Japanese strategic thinkers believed that Japan needed economic self-sufficiency in order to wage modern war. The experiences of World War I had taught the Japanese that modern wars would be protracted, require total mobilization and create vulnerabilities for trade embargoes and encirclement. As
6162-651: The Rev. James E. Jones of Westminster Presbyterian Church and member of the Los Angeles Board of Education; Mrs. Robert G. Newmann, a League of Women Voters leader; and Dr. Sherman M. Mellinkoff , dean of the School of Medicine at UCLA. The only two African American members were Jones and Broady. The commission released a 101-page report on December 2, 1965, entitled Violence in the City ;– An End or
6320-510: The San Joaquin Valley . African Americans in Watts have also moved to Southern cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Birmingham, Memphis, San Antonio and Jackson. The black population in Watts has been increasingly replaced by other demographic groups, primarily Hispanic immigrants of Mexican and Central American ancestry, as well as by a median proportion of Ethiopian and Indian ancestry. This demographic change accelerated after
6478-965: The Southern states . This wave of migration largely bypassed Los Angeles. In the 1940s, in the Second Great Migration , black workers and families migrated to the West Coast in large numbers, in response to defense industry recruitment efforts at the start of World War II . President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802 directing defense contractors not to discriminate in hiring or promotions, opening up new opportunities for minorities. The black population in Los Angeles dramatically rose from approximately 63,700 in 1940 to about 350,000 in 1965, rising from 4% of L.A.'s population to 14%. Los Angeles had racially restrictive covenants that prevented specific minorities from renting and buying property in certain areas, even long after
Watts riots - Misplaced Pages Continue
6636-569: The Tripartite Pact with Japan, Germany and Italy each declared war on the United States, which responded with a declaration of war against Germany and Italy . While there were historical precedents for the unannounced military action by Japan, the lack of any formal warning, as required by the Hague Convention of 1907 , and the perception that the attack had been unprovoked, led then- President Franklin D. Roosevelt , in
6794-611: The United States Asiatic Fleet , was given orders to that effect. The United States finally ceased oil exports to Japan in July 1941, following the seizure of French Indochina after the Fall of France , in part because of new American restrictions on domestic oil consumption. Because of this decision, Japan proceeded with plans to take the oil-rich Dutch East Indies . On August 17, Roosevelt warned Japan that America
6952-414: The Watts neighborhood and Compton . Such real-estate practices severely restricted educational and economic opportunities available to the minority community. Following the US entry into World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor , the federal government removed and interned 70,000 Japanese-Americans from Los Angeles, leaving empty spaces in predominantly Japanese-owned areas. This further bolstered
7110-443: The light cruiser St. Louis at 10:04 at the entrance of Pearl Harbor, and a possible torpedo fired at destroyer Helm at 08:21. There is dispute over this official chain of events though. The "torpedo" that St. Louis saw was also reportedly a porpoising minesweeping float being towed by the destroyer Boggs . Some historians and naval architects theorise that a photo taken by a Japanese naval aviator of Battleship Row during
7268-518: The message — 1:00 p.m. on a Sunday, which was 7:30 a.m. in Hawaii ;— and attempted to alert Pearl Harbor. But due to communication problems the warning was not delivered before the attack. The first attack wave of 183 airplanes, led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida , was launched north of Oahu. Six airplanes failed to launch due to technical difficulties. The first wave included three groups of airplanes: As
7426-416: The unincorporated community of Willowbrook to the south. Founded in the late nineteenth century as a ranching community, the arrival of the railroads and the construction of Watts Station saw the rapid development of Watts as an independent city, but in 1926 it was consolidated with Los Angeles. By the 1940s, Watts transformed into a primarily working class African-American neighborhood , but from
7584-746: The "Toys for Watts" toy drive , the Watts Christmas parade , and the "Watts Summer Games" athletic tournament, as well as a local theatre and a dance company, in an effort to improve the neighborhood. Watts is noted internationally for the landmark Watts Towers by Simon Rodia , which are a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument and also listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The neighborhood has also been featured or referenced in numerous forms of media, particularly West Coast hip-hop music, and movies and television shows set in Los Angeles. The area now known as Watts
7742-539: The 1940 Vinson-Walsh Act erased any chance of victory. Third, to deliver a blow to America's ability to mobilize its forces in the Pacific, battleships were chosen as the main targets, since they were the prestige ships of navies at the time. Finally, it was hoped that the attack would undermine American morale to such an extent that the American government would drop its demands contrary to Japanese interests and seek
7900-417: The 1960s developed a reputation as a low-income, high-crime area, following the Watts riots and the increasing influence of street gangs . Watts has become a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood with a significant African American minority, and remains one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Los Angeles despite falling crime rates since the 1990s. Notable civic activities by residents of Watts include
8058-457: The 1992 riots. Neighborhood leaders have begun a strategy to overcome Watts's reputation as a violence-prone and impoverished area. Special promotion has been given to the museums and art galleries in the area surrounding Watts Towers . This sculptural and architectural landmark has attracted many artists and professionals to the area. I Build the Tower , a feature-length documentary film about
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#17327804678038216-509: The 30 or so children pictured. By 1914, a black realtor, Charles C. Leake, was doing business in the area. Racially restrictive covenants prevented blacks from living in any other neighborhoods outside of Central Avenue District and Watts. World War II brought the Second Great Migration , tens of thousands of African American migrants, mostly from Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas, who left segregated Southern states in search of better opportunities in California. During World War II,
8374-704: The American-held Philippines , Guam , and Wake Island and on the British Empire in Malaya , Singapore , and Hong Kong . From the Japanese point of view, it was seen as a preemptive strike "before the oil gauge ran empty." Preliminary planning for an attack on Pearl Harbor to protect the move into the "Southern Resource Area", the Japanese term for the Dutch East Indies and Southeast Asia generally, began early in 1941 under
8532-507: The Americans killed or wounded during the attack were legally non-combatants, given that there was no state of war when the attack occurred. Of the American fatalities, nearly half were due to the explosion of Arizona 's forward magazine after she was hit by a modified 16-inch (410 mm) shell. Author Craig Nelson wrote that the vast majority of the U.S. sailors killed at Pearl Harbor were junior enlisted personnel. "The officers of
8690-669: The Americans, and were not necessary. Fleet composition and preparedness information in Pearl Harbor were already known from the reports of the Japanese spy Takeo Yoshikawa . A report of the absence of the American fleet at Lahaina anchorage off Maui was received from the Tone ' s floatplane and the fleet submarine I-72 . Another four scout planes patrolled the area between the Japanese carrier force (the Kidō Butai ) and Niihau , to detect any counterattack. Fleet submarines I-16 , I-18 , I-20 , I-22 , and I-24 each embarked
8848-519: The Hawkins Post Office. There was a school in Watts from an early date. In 1905 it was reported that "steps have already been taken to enlarge the present school building", and a new building was erected in 1911 at a cost of $ 30,000. By 1914, however, that structure had become overcrowded, and additional desks were "installed everywhere, in the library, in the halls and in the auditorium." There were 630 pupils and 18 teachers. While work
9006-582: The LAPD were sent to assist the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) in controlling the unruly crowd. By nightfall on Saturday, 16,000 law enforcement personnel had been mobilized and patrolled the city. Blockades were established, and warning signs were posted throughout the riot zones threatening the use of deadly force (one sign warned residents to "Turn left or get shot"). Angered over the police response, residents of Watts engaged in
9164-522: The Navy all lived in houses and the junior people were the ones on the boats, so pretty much all of the people who died in the direct line of the attack were very junior people", Nelson said. "So everyone is about 17 or 18 whose story is told there." Among the notable civilian casualties were nine Honolulu Fire Department firefighters who responded to Hickam Field during the bombing in Honolulu, becoming
9322-556: The Pacific Fleet from interfering with the Japanese conquest of the Dutch East Indies and Malaya and enabling Japan to conquer Southeast Asia without interference. The leaders of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ascribed to Alfred Thayer Mahan 's " decisive battle " doctrine, especially that of destroying the maximum number of battleships. Second, it was hoped to buy time for Japan to consolidate its position and increase its naval strength before shipbuilding authorized by
9480-459: The Pacific Fleet's aircraft carriers ( Enterprise , Lexington , and Saratoga ). Despite these concerns, Yamamoto decided to press ahead. Japanese confidence in their ability to win a short war meant that other targets in the harbor, especially the navy yard, oil tank farms and submarine base, were left unscathed, since by their thinking the war would be over before the influence of these facilities would be felt. On November 26, 1941,
9638-580: The Pearl Harbor entrance buoy and alerted the destroyer Ward . The midget may have entered Pearl Harbor. However, Ward sank another midget submarine at 06:37 in the first American shots in the Pacific Theater. A midget submarine on the north side of Ford Island missed the seaplane tender Curtiss with her first torpedo and missed the attacking destroyer Monaghan with her other one before being sunk by Monaghan at 08:43. A third midget submarine, Ha-19 , grounded twice, once outside
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#17327804678039796-589: The Pearl Harbor strike despite dissent from certain advisors. Final authorization was not given by the emperor until December 1, after a majority of Japanese leaders advised him the Hull note would "destroy the fruits of the China incident, endanger Manchukuo and undermine Japanese control of Korea". Before the attack, he became more involved in military matters, even joining the Conference of Military Councillors, which
9954-520: The Philippines was also considered necessary by Japanese war planners. The American War Plan Orange had envisioned defending the Philippines with an elite force of 40,000 men; this option was never implemented due to opposition from Douglas MacArthur , who felt he would need a force ten times that size. By 1941, American planners expected to have to abandon the Philippines at the outbreak of war. Late that year, Admiral Thomas C. Hart , commander of
10112-689: The South Health Center in Watts. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation operates the L.A. Watts Juvenile Parole Center. The United States Postal Service Augustus F. Hawkins Post Office is located at 10301 Compton Avenue. On January 24, 2000, the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate presented a bill to rename the Watts Finance Office as
10270-599: The South with strong anti-black and anti-Latino attitudes. Chief Parker coined the term " thin blue line ", representing the police as holding down pervasive crime. Resentment of such longstanding racial injustices is cited as reason why Watts' African-American population exploded on August 11, 1965, in what would become the Watts Riots. On the evening of Wednesday, August 11, 1965, 21-year-old Marquette Frye, an African-American man driving his mother's 1955 Buick while drunk,
10428-665: The United States end its sanctions against Japan , cease aiding China in the Second Sino-Japanese War , and allow Japan to access the resources of the Dutch East Indies . Anticipating a negative response, Japan sent out its naval attack groups in November 1941 just prior to receiving the Hull note —which states the United States desire that Japan withdraw from China and French Indochina . Japan intended
10586-488: The United States), but not delivered to the American government until the day after the attack. For decades, conventional wisdom held that Japan attacked without first formally breaking diplomatic relations only because of accidents and bumbling that delayed the delivery of a document hinting at war to Washington. In 1999, however, Takeo Iguchi, a professor of law and international relations at International Christian University in Tokyo, discovered documents that pointed to
10744-427: The United States, United Kingdom, and Netherlands supplied one million U.S. gallons (3.8 million liters) of aviation fuel, lifted their sanctions against Japan, and ceased aid to China. The American counter-proposal of November 26 (November 27 in Japan), the Hull note , required Japan to completely evacuate China without conditions and conclude non-aggression pacts with Pacific powers. On November 26 in Japan,
10902-406: The Watts Towers and their creator, Simon Rodia , provides a history of Watts from the 1920s to the present and a record of the activities of the Watts Towers Arts Center. Watts is one of several Los Angeles neighborhoods with a high concentration of convicted felons. In 2000, singer and actor Tyrese Gibson chartered a foundation to build a community center in Watts. In 2019, the Watts Towers were
11060-439: The aircraft carriers and return to combat. Fighters were to assume CAP duties where needed, especially over American airfields. Before the attack commenced, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched reconnaissance floatplanes from heavy cruisers Chikuma and Tone , to scout Oahu and Lahaina Roads, Maui, respectively, with orders to report on American fleet composition and location. Reconnaissance aircraft flights risked alerting
11218-420: The area protesting high unemployment rates and racial discrimination. Those opinions concerning racism and discrimination were expressed three years after hearings conducted by a committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights took place in Los Angeles to assess the condition of relations between the police force and minorities. These hearings were also intended to make a ruling on the discrimination case against
11376-511: The area. With so much destruction of residential properties after the Watts Riots, black families began to relocate in other cities that had established black neighborhoods. One of these was the city of Pomona . The arrival of so many black families to Pomona caused White flight to take place there and saw many of those white families move to neighboring cities in the Pomona Valley . A commission under Governor Pat Brown investigated
11534-548: The assistance of the California Army National Guard . Chief Parker believed the riots resembled an insurgency, compared it to fighting the Viet Cong , and decreed a " paramilitary " response to the disorder. Governor Pat Brown declared that law enforcement was confronting " guerrillas fighting with gangsters". The rioting intensified, and on Friday, August 13, about 2,300 National Guardsmen joined
11692-766: The attack as a preventive action. Its aim was to prevent the United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with its planned military actions in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom , the Netherlands , and the United States. Over the course of seven hours, Japan conducted coordinated attacks on the U.S.-held Philippines , Guam , and Wake Island ; and on the British Empire in Malaya , Singapore , and Hong Kong . The attack on Pearl Harbor started at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian time (6:18 p.m. GMT). The base
11850-407: The attack on Pearl Harbor that was declassified in the 1990s and publicized in the 2000s to the public, shows the fifth midget submarine firing a torpedo at West Virginia and another at Oklahoma . These torpedoes were twice the size of the aerial torpedoes so it was possible that both torpedoes heavily contributed to the sinkings of both ships and especially helped to capsize Oklahoma as Oklahoma
12008-410: The attack. Ammunition lockers were locked, aircraft parked wingtip to wingtip in the open to prevent sabotage, guns unmanned (none of the Navy's 5"/38s , only a quarter of its machine guns, and only four of 31 Army batteries got in action). Despite this low alert status , many American military personnel responded effectively during the attack. Ensign Joseph Taussig Jr. , aboard Nevada , commanded
12166-682: The auspices of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto , then commanding Japan's Combined Fleet . He won assent to formal planning and training for an attack from the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff only after much contention with Naval Headquarters, including a threat to resign his command. Full-scale planning was underway by early spring 1941, primarily by Rear Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka , with assistance from Commander Minoru Genda and Yamamoto's Deputy Chief of Staff, Captain Kameto Kuroshima. The planners studied
12324-412: The black community, however, believed the rioters were taking part in an "uprising against an oppressive system." In a 1966 essay, black civil rights activist Bayard Rustin wrote: The whole point of the outbreak in Watts was that it marked the first major rebellion of Negroes against their own masochism and was carried on with the express purpose of asserting that they would no longer quietly submit to
12482-527: The branch library facility bond issue of 1989, funded the construction of the new Watts library. On June 25, 1996, the city council voted to name the library after Alma Reaves Woods, a woman in the community who encouraged reading and library usage. James C. Moore, AIA & Associates designed the current Watts Library, which opened on June 29, 1996. Los Angeles Public Library operates the Alma Reaves Woods–Watts Branch. On January 22, 2012,
12640-426: The city built several large housing projects (including Jordan Downs and Imperial Courts ) for the thousands of new workers in war industries. By the early 1960s, these projects had become nearly 100 percent black, as whites moved on to new suburbs outside the central city. As industrial jobs disappeared from the area, the projects housed many more poor families than they had traditionally. Passenger rail service on
12798-584: The city was already 80% covered by racially restrictive covenants in real estate. By the 1940s, 95% of Los Angeles and southern California housing was off-limits to certain minorities. Minorities who had served in World War II or worked in L.A.'s defense industries returned to face increasing patterns of discrimination in housing . In addition, they found themselves excluded from the suburbs and restricted to housing in East or South Los Angeles , which includes
12956-484: The city. A majority of the 250 votes did agree that Watts should allow saloons, or bars , and that the municipality should raise money by taxing them. Rorke said: We have two retail saloons and one wholesale as a result, and an income that more than pays our running expenses. In fact, we have several hundred in the treasury. The voters, who admitted the saloons, looked upon it as a business proposition. While many of them are not really in favor of having them in our midst,
13114-701: The commanding officer of one of the submarines, was captured. Japan declared war on the United States and the British Empire later that day (December 8 in Tokyo ), but the declarations were not delivered until the following day. The British government declared war on Japan immediately after learning that their territory had also been attacked, while the following day (December 8), the United States Congress declared war on Japan . On December 11, though they had no formal obligation to do so under
13272-467: The courts ruled such practices illegal in 1948 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. At the beginning of the 20th century, Los Angeles was geographically divided by ethnicity, as demographics were being altered by the rapid migration from the Philippines ( U.S. unincorporated territory at the time) and immigration from Mexico, Japan, Korea, and Southern and Eastern Europe. In the 1910s,
13430-436: The day before the note's delivery, the Japanese task force left port for Pearl Harbor . The Japanese intended the attack as a preventive action to keep the United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with their planned military actions in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom , the Netherlands , and the United States. Over the course of seven hours, there were coordinated Japanese attacks on
13588-660: The deadliest event ever recorded in Hawaii. It was also the deadliest foreign attack against the United States in its history until the September 11 attacks of 2001. Important base installations, such as the power station, dry dock , shipyard , maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section ) were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines were lost, and 129 servicemen killed. Kazuo Sakamaki ,
13746-447: The deprivation of slum life. Despite allegations that "criminal elements" were responsible for the riots, the vast majority of those arrested had no prior criminal record. Three sworn personnel were killed in the riots: a Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter was struck when a wall of a fire-weakened structure fell on him while fighting fires in a store, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy was accidentally shot by another deputy while in
13904-552: The disturbances, the arrest of a black youth by the California Highway Patrol on drunk-driving charges, actually occurred outside Watts. The damage from the riots was particularly severe along the stretch of 103rd Street between Compton and Wilmington Avenues. 103rd Street was the neighborhood's historic commercial center, consisting of a traditional main street lined with storefronts, easily accessible by foot from Watts Station. After suffering extensive arson in
14062-489: The establishment of a newspaper, a general merchandise store, a lumber yard, a grocery store , a millinery , dry goods and confectionery stores, a blacksmithery and bakeries . The Pacific Coast Laundry Company opened in August 1907, with a payroll promised to be between $ 750 and $ 1,000 a month. Laundry deliveries were to be made via the electric railway . Watts became a city in 1907, after three petitions objecting to
14220-473: The experience was adopted for giving us a working fund. Some of the surplus funds are being used to employ engineers to establish street grades , looking forward to improvements in our thoroughfares in the near future. As an instance of prosperity, there is not a vacant house in Watts, and it is impossible to find one to rent. Watts was brought to nationwide attention in 1908 with the New York production of
14378-549: The first librarian and Bessie Hunt as the second. In the same year the city received word that its application for construction of a new Carnegie Library had been approved. The cornerstone of the library was laid in January 1914. In 1914 the library moved into a newly built Carnegie library . Los Angeles annexed Watts in 1926, so the library became the Watts Branch of the Los Angeles library system. In 1957 voters approved
14536-404: The first school in California from which a principal was ordered to be removed in response to the state's 2010 "trigger law," which compels the dismissal of a school administrator on petition of a majority of parents. As a result of the pending loss of principal Irma Cobian, 21 of 22 teachers asked for transfer to other schools. A Watts public library was established in 1913, with Maud Walton as
14694-532: The first target; instead, they expected the Philippines to be attacked first. This presumption was due to the threat that the air bases throughout the country and the naval base at Manila posed to sea lanes, as well as to the shipment of supplies to Japan from territory to the south. They also incorrectly believed that Japan was not capable of mounting more than one major naval operation at a time. The Japanese attack had several major aims. First, it intended to destroy important American fleet units, thereby preventing
14852-449: The first wave approached Oahu, it was detected by United States Army SCR-270 radar positioned at Opana Point near the island's northern tip. This post had been in training mode for months, but was not yet operational. The operators, Privates George Elliot Jr. and Joseph Lockard , reported a target to Private Joseph P. McDonald , a private stationed at Fort Shafter 's Intercept Center near Pearl Harbor. Lieutenant Kermit A. Tyler ,
15010-476: The first wave. The first wave was to be the primary attack, while the second wave was to attack carriers as its first objective and cruisers as its second, with battleships as the third target. The first wave carried most of the weapons designed to attack capital ships, mainly specially adapted Type 91 aerial torpedoes which were designed with an anti-roll mechanism and a rudder extension that let them operate in shallow water. The aircrews were ordered to select
15168-405: The general peace and prosperity, most of these suburbs barred black people, using a variety of methods. White middle-class people in neighborhoods bordering black districts moved en masse to the suburbs, where newer housing was available. The spread of African Americans throughout urban Los Angeles was achieved in large part through blockbusting , a technique whereby real estate speculators would buy
15326-486: The ground. Almost none were actually ready to take off to defend the base. Eight Army Air Forces pilots managed to get airborne during the attack, and six were credited with downing at least one Japanese aircraft during the attack: 1st Lieutenant Lewis M. Sanders and 2nd Lieutenants Philip M. Rasmussen , Kenneth M. Taylor , George S. Welch , Harry W. Brown , and Gordon H. Sterling Jr. Of 33 Consolidated PBY Catalinas in Hawaii, 30 were destroyed, while three on patrol at
15484-431: The harbor entrance and again on the east side of Oahu, where it was captured on December 8. Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki swam ashore and was captured by Hawaii National Guard Corporal David Akui , becoming the first Japanese prisoner of war . A fourth had been damaged by a depth charge attack and was abandoned by its crew before it could fire its torpedoes. It was found outside the harbor in 1960. Japanese forces received
15642-420: The highest population densities in Los Angeles. Population was estimated at 41,028 in 2008. The median age was 21, making Watts the Los Angeles neighborhood with the youngest population. The percentages of residents aged birth to 18 were among the county's highest. Hispanics made up 61.6% of the population, blacks 37.1%, non-Hispanic whites 0.5%, Asian 0.2%, and others 0.5%. Mexico and El Salvador were
15800-421: The highest-value targets (battleships and aircraft carriers ) or, if these were not present, any other high-value ships (cruisers and destroyers). First-wave dive bombers were to attack ground targets. Fighters were ordered to strafe and destroy as many parked aircraft as possible to ensure they did not intercept the bombers, especially in the first wave. When the fighters' fuel got low, they were to refuel aboard
15958-505: The impounded 1955 Buick which her son had been driving because the storage fees exceeded the car's value. Motorcycle officer Lee Minikus died on October 19, 2013, at age 79. Watts, Los Angeles Watts is a neighborhood in southern Los Angeles, California . It is located within the South Los Angeles region, bordering the cities of Lynwood , Huntington Park and South Gate to the east and southeast, respectively, and
16116-552: The intersection of Avalon Boulevard and 116th Street that evening, she scolded Frye about drinking and driving as he recalled in a 1985 interview with the Orlando Sentinel . However, the situation quickly escalated: someone shoved Price, Frye was struck, Price jumped an officer, and another officer pulled out a shotgun. Backup police officers attempted to arrest Frye by using physical force to subdue him. After community members reported that police had roughed up Frye and shared
16274-470: The latter perceived as an unfriendly act. The United States did not stop oil exports, however, partly because of the prevailing sentiment in Washington that given Japanese dependence on American oil, such an action was likely to be considered an extreme provocation. In mid-1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the Pacific Fleet from San Diego to Hawaii. He also ordered a military buildup in
16432-428: The line is Success Avenue between Century Boulevard and 92nd Street. Watts is flanked on the north by Florence-Firestone , on the east by South Gate , on the southeast by Lynwood , on the south by Willowbrook and on the north and west by Green Meadows . A total of 36,815 people lived in Watts's 2.12 square miles, according to the 2000 U.S. census – averaging 17,346 people per square mile, among
16590-511: The meeting, warning that it was the only way to preserve the conciliatory Konoe government and peace in the Pacific. However, his recommendation was not acted upon. The Konoe government collapsed the following month when the Japanese military rejected a withdrawal of all troops from China. Japan's final proposal, delivered on November 20, offered to withdraw from southern Indochina and to refrain from attacks in Southeast Asia, so long as
16748-399: The message took too long for the Japanese ambassador to deliver it at 1:00 p.m. Washington time, as ordered, and consequently the message was not presented until more than one hour after the attack had begun — but American code breakers had already deciphered and translated most of the message hours before it was scheduled to be delivered. The final part of the message
16906-640: The migration of black residents into the city during the Second Great Migration to occupy the vacated spaces, such as Little Tokyo . As a result, housing in South Los Angeles became increasingly scarce, overwhelming the already established communities and providing opportunities for real estate developers. Davenport Builders, for example, was a large developer who responded to the demand, with an eye on undeveloped land in Compton. What
17064-404: The most common places of birth for the 34% of the residents who were born abroad, an average percentage of foreign-born when compared with the city or county as a whole. The $ 25,161 median household income in 2008 dollars was considered low for the city and county. The percentage of households earning $ 20,000 or less was high, compared to the county at large. The average household size of 4 people
17222-436: The name 'Lucky Watts' will be used as much as possible, the idea being to get new ideas into people's heads, so they will get away from the notion that there is any joke about what the people here believe is the most promising suburban community in the county." Some 25,000 pieces of advertising material were distributed. The excursion was repeated in 1913. By 1910, Watts had a population of about 2,500, "well improved streets,
17380-540: The neighborhood due to low wages and high prices for local workers. To quell the riots, Chief Parker initiated a policy of mass arrest . Following the deployment of National Guardsmen, a curfew was declared for a vast region of South Central Los Angeles . In addition to the Guardsmen, 934 LAPD officers and 718 officers from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) were deployed during
17538-530: The next decade, Japan expanded into China , leading to the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. Japan spent considerable effort trying to isolate China and endeavored to secure enough independent resources to attain victory on the mainland. The " Southern Operation " was designed to assist these efforts. Starting in December 1937, events such as the Japanese attack on USS Panay , the Allison incident , and
17696-497: The north and east, except for a small patch of Los Angeles County territory surrounding Ritter Elementary School, between 108th Street and Imperial Highway , which the Times includes in Watts. The southern boundary runs east–west on Imperial Highway, the eastern line is north–south on Alameda Street and the western line is north–south on Central Avenue to 103rd Street. Ted Watkins Park and other county areas are excluded. Thence
17854-666: The only fire department members on American soil to be attacked by a foreign power in history. Fireman Harry Tuck Lee Pang of Engine 6 was killed near the hangars by machine-gun fire from a Japanese plane. Captains Thomas Macy and John Carreira of Engine 4 and Engine 1, respectively, died while battling flames inside the hangar after a Japanese bomb crashed through the roof. An additional six firefighters were wounded by Japanese shrapnel. The wounded later received Purple Hearts (originally reserved for service members wounded by enemy action while partaking in armed conflicts) for their peacetime actions that day on June 13, 1944;
18012-546: The opening line of his speech to a Joint Session of Congress the following day, to famously label December 7, 1941, " a date which will live in infamy ". War between the Empire of Japan and the United States was seen as a possibility since the 1920s. Japan had been wary of American territorial and military expansion in the Pacific and Asia since the late 1890s, followed by the annexation of islands, such as Hawaii and
18170-484: The operators of the six B-17s that were due (even though it was widely known). As the first wave approached Oahu, they encountered and shot down several American aircraft. At least one of these radioed a somewhat incoherent warning. Other warnings from ships off the harbor entrance were still being processed or awaiting confirmation when the Japanese air assault began at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian time (3:18 a.m. December 8 Japanese Standard Time , as kept by ships of
18328-495: The peace of the Pacific through cooperation with the American Government has finally been lost. The Japanese Government regrets to have to notify hereby the American Government that in view of the attitude of the American Government it cannot but consider that it is impossible to reach an agreement through further negotiations. United States naval intelligence officers were alarmed by the unusual timing for delivering
18486-635: The perspectives of those affected by and participating in the riots' chaos. National civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke two days after the riots happened in Watts. The riots were partly a response to Proposition 14 , a constitutional amendment sponsored by the California Real Estate Association and passed that had in effect repealed the Rumford Fair Housing Act . In 1966,
18644-581: The police for their alleged mistreatment of members of the Nation of Islam . These different arguments and opinions are often cited in continuing debates over the underlying causes of the Watts riots. After the Watts Riots, white families left surrounding nearby suburbs like Compton, Huntington Park, and South Gate in large numbers. Although the unrest did not reach these suburbs during the riots, many white residents in Huntington Park, for instance, left
18802-628: The police in trying to maintain order on the streets. Sergeant Ben Dunn said: "The streets of Watts resembled an all-out war zone in some far-off foreign country, it bore no resemblance to the United States of America." The first riot-related death occurred on the night of August 13, when a black civilian was killed in the crossfire during a shootout between the police and rioters. Over the next few days, rioting had then spread throughout other areas, including Pasadena , Pacoima , Monrovia , Long Beach , and even as far as San Diego , although they were very minor in comparison to Watts. About 200 Guardsmen and
18960-660: The popular cycling event called CicLAvia took place in south L.A.'s Central–Alameda neighborhood to the Watts Towers. Volunteers were excited to hold an event close to the CicLAvia events in downtown L.A. The event was meant to encourage civic engagement. Throughout the group of volunteers the diversity was large. Cyclists took photos for a "crowd-source" map made up of photos and recordings by the cyclists. Attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese victory 1941 1942 Second Sino-Japanese War The attack on Pearl Harbor
19118-581: The proposed borders were presented to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors . Seven ranchers said that they had no intention of subdividing and that all unimproved land should be omitted from the proposed city. Another petition declared that most of the property owners in Watts did not pay taxes inasmuch as they were buying the 25-foot lots for speculation, that the residents were "migratory" and that most of them were transitory " Mexican railroad laborers ." A third petition for exemption
19276-557: The raillery occasioned by the play, a "big advertising excursion" took place on Thursday, May 30, 1912, via a special train of three chartered electric railway cars. The route was scheduled over the Balloon Route by way of Los Angeles , Hollywood , the Soldiers' Home , Ocean Park , Venice , Redondo , Gardena and back to Watts. The object of the excursion was to call attention "to the fact that Watts has been 'born again,' and
19434-403: The residents were tired of the "quips and jests" at the town's expense. One real-estate agent said that prospective clients backed out of a property inspection tour when they found out their streetcar ride would end up in Watts. The name "South Angeles" was proposed. Another plan for a city name change surfaced in 1919, when the city trustees asked for suggestions. Mayor Towne said: "Watts has got
19592-410: The rest of the city. Watts Neighborhood Council 10221 Compton Avenue, Suite 106A, LA CA 90002. Los Angeles Fire Department Station 65 (Watts) serves the community. Los Angeles County Fire Department Station 16 (Watts) serves the community. Los Angeles Police Department operates the nearby Southeast Community Police Station. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates
19750-428: The rioting. Watts and all black-majority areas in Los Angeles were put under the curfew. All residents outside of their homes in the affected areas after 8:00 p.m. were subject to arrest. Eventually, nearly 3,500 people were arrested, primarily for curfew violations. By the morning of Sunday, August 15, the riots had largely been quelled. Over the course of six days, between 31,000 and 35,000 adults participated in
19908-532: The riots, known as the McCone Commission, and headed by former CIA director John A. McCone . Other committee members included Warren Christopher , a Los Angeles attorney who would be the committee's vice chairman, Earl C. Broady, Los Angeles Superior Court judge; Asa V. Call, former president of the State Chamber of Commerce; Rev. Charles Casassa, president of Loyola University of Los Angeles;
20066-469: The riots, the ruined, burnt-out area was nicknamed "Charcoal Alley". An urban renewal plan was drawn up by the redevelopment agency in 1966, with the aim of demolishing all structures between Century Boulevard and 104th Street and redeveloping the area into a modern shopping district. By 1972, the entire area had been acquired and demolished. Century Boulevard, 103rd Street, Compton Avenue, and Wilmington Avenue were all widened into large arterial roads, and
20224-537: The riots. Around 70,000 people were "sympathetic, but not active." Over the six days, there were 34 deaths, 1,032 injuries, 3,438 arrests, and over $ 40 million in property damage from 769 buildings and businesses damaged and looted and 208 buildings completely destroyed, including 14 damaged public buildings and 1 public building completely destroyed. Many white Americans were fearful of the breakdown of social order in Watts, especially since white motorists were being pulled over by rioters in nearby areas and assaulted. Many in
20382-408: The same month, Watts boosters made the same statement at a meeting with Compton backers in that city. By 1925 Watts voters had approved $ 170,000 in bonds for a new high school, and the town was served by four public grammar schools and one Catholic school. There were seven grade schools. Just 2.9% of Watts residents aged 25 and older had earned a four-year degree, according to the 2000 census, which
20540-471: The scene to break up the crowd several times that night, but were attacked when people threw rocks and chunks of concrete. A 46-square-mile (120 km) swath of Los Angeles was transformed into a combat zone during the ensuing six days. After a night of increasing unrest, police and local black community leaders held a community meeting on Thursday, August 12, to discuss an action plan and to urge calm. The meeting failed. Later that day, Chief Parker called for
20698-615: The second wave attacked the Army Air Forces' Bellows Field , near Kaneohe on the windward side of the island, and Ford Island. The only aerial opposition came from a handful of P-36 Hawks , P-40 Warhawks and some SBD Dauntless dive bombers from the carrier Enterprise . In the first-wave attack, about eight of the forty-nine 800‑kg (1760 lb) armor-piercing bombs dropped hit their intended battleship targets. At least two of those bombs broke up on impact, another detonated before penetrating an unarmored deck, and one
20856-591: The ship's antiaircraft guns and was severely wounded but remained at his post. Lieutenant Commander F. J. Thomas commanded Nevada in the captain's absence and got her underway until the ship was grounded at 9:10 a.m. One of the destroyers, Aylwin , got underway with only four officers aboard, all ensigns, none with more than a year's sea duty; she operated at sea for 36 hours before her commanding officer managed to get back aboard. Captain Mervyn Bennion , commanding West Virginia , led his men until he
21014-586: The side of the Allies the day following the attack, on December 8, 1941. The Japanese military leadership referred to the attack as the Hawaii Operation and Operation AI , and as Operation Z during its planning. The Empire of Japan 's attack on Pearl Harbor was preceded by months of negotiations between the United States and Japan over the future of the Pacific . Japanese demands included that
21172-577: The surrounding plots were gradually redeveloped with suburban-style garden apartments and single family subdivisions of much lower density than the previous and surrounding development. The modern shopping center, a main promise of the redevelopment program, was not completed until the early 1980's. This project dramatically altered the urban fabric of Watts, replacing the densely-populated, walkable main street with large surface parking lots and wide roads carrying hazardous high speed traffic. Community activism in response these problems would eventually lead to
21330-530: The termination of negotiations ... and they clearly prevailed." In any event, even if the Japanese had decoded and delivered the 14-Part Message before the beginning of the attack, it would not have constituted either a formal break of diplomatic relations or a declaration of war. The final two paragraphs of the message read: Thus the earnest hope of the Japanese Government to adjust Japanese-American relations and to preserve and promote
21488-471: The three firefighters killed did not receive theirs until December 7, 1984, on the 43rd anniversary of the attack. This made the nine men the only non-military firefighters to receive such an award in American history. Already damaged by a torpedo and on fire amidships, Nevada attempted to exit the harbor. She was targeted by many Japanese bombers as she got under way and sustained more hits from 250 lb (113 kg) bombs, which started further fires. She
21646-535: Was a driver for the Blue Ribbon beer company, as mayor and Frederick J. Rorke as city clerk . There was, however, no money to run the city because it had become incorporated too late to levy and collect any taxes. A proposed business license fee raised so much objection that the Board of Trustees, or the city council, submitted to the people a straw vote (nonbinding) question about allowing liquor to be sold in
21804-449: Was a dud. Thirteen of the forty torpedoes hit battleships, while four hit other ships. Men aboard the ships awoke to the sounds of alarms, bombs exploding, and gunfire, prompting them to dress as they ran to General Quarters stations. (The famous message, "Air raid Pearl Harbor. This is not drill.", was sent from the headquarters of Patrol Wing Two, the first senior Hawaiian command to respond.) American servicemen were caught unprepared by
21962-674: Was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu , Hawaii, the United States, just before 8:00 a.m. (local time) on Sunday, December 7, 1941. At the time, the United States was a neutral country in World War II . The attack on Hawaii and other U.S. territories led the United States to formally enter World War II on
22120-627: Was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft (including fighters , level and dive bombers , and torpedo bombers ) in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers . Of the eight United States Navy battleships present, all were damaged and four were sunk. All but USS Arizona were later raised, and six were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers , three destroyers , an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer . More than 180 US aircraft were destroyed. A total of 2,393 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded, making it
22278-596: Was considered unusual for him. Additionally, he actively sought more information about the war plans. According to an aide, he openly displayed happiness upon hearing about the success of the surprise attacks. By late 1941, many observers believed that hostilities between the United States and Japan were imminent. A Gallup poll just before the attack on Pearl Harbor found that 52% of Americans expected war with Japan, 27% did not, and 21% had no opinion. While American Pacific bases and facilities had been placed on alert on many occasions, officials doubted Pearl Harbor would be
22436-482: Was convicted of drunk driving, battery and malicious mischief. On February 18, 1966 he received a sentence of 90 days in county jail and three years' probation. He received another 90-day jail term after a jury convicted him of battery and disturbing the peace on May 18, 1966. Over the 10-year period following the riots he was arrested 34 times. He died of pneumonia on December 20, 1986, at age 42. His mother, Rena Price, died on June 10, 2013, at age 97. She never recovered
22594-407: Was cut down by fragments from a bomb which hit Tennessee , moored alongside. The second planned wave consisted of 171 planes: 54 B5Ns, 81 D3As, and 36 A6Ms, commanded by Lieutenant-Commander Shigekazu Shimazaki . Four planes failed to launch because of technical difficulties. This wave and its targets also comprised three groups of planes: The second wave was divided into three groups. One
22752-428: Was deliberately beached to avoid risking blocking the harbor entrance if she sank there. California was hit by two bombs and two torpedoes. The crew might have kept her afloat, but were ordered to abandon ship just as they were raising power for the pumps. Burning oil from Arizona and West Virginia was drifted down toward her and probably made the situation look worse than it was. The disarmed target ship Utah
22910-427: Was high for the city. Renters occupied 67% of the housing units, and homeowners occupied the rest. In 2000, there were 2,816 families headed by single parents, or 38.9%, the highest rate for any neighborhood in the city. The percentages of never-married women (45.3) and never-married men (44.7) were among the county's highest. In 2000, there were 739 military veterans, or 3.6% of the population, low when compared to
23068-413: Was holed by a torpedo. The light cruiser Honolulu was damaged but remained in service. The repair vessel Vestal , moored alongside Arizona , was heavily damaged and beached. The seaplane tender Curtiss was also damaged. The destroyer Shaw was badly damaged when two bombs penetrated her forward magazine. Of the 402 American aircraft in Hawaii, 188 were destroyed and 159 damaged, 155 of them on
23226-453: Was holed twice by torpedoes. West Virginia was hit by seven torpedoes, the seventh tearing away her rudder. Oklahoma was hit by four torpedoes, the last two above her belt armor , which caused her to capsize. Maryland was hit by two of the converted 16" shells, but neither caused serious damage. Although the Japanese concentrated on battleships (the largest vessels present), they did not ignore other targets. The light cruiser Helena
23384-513: Was made by Japan, but this was not Admiral Yamamoto's intention. He originally stipulated that the attack should not commence until thirty minutes after Japan had informed the United States that peace negotiations were at an end. However, the attack began before the notice could be delivered. Tokyo transmitted the 5000-word notification (commonly called the "14-Part Message") in two blocks to the Japanese Embassy in Washington. Transcribing
23542-606: Was named after Pasadena businessman Charles H. Watts, who was found dead by suicide in the St. Elmo Hotel, Los Angeles , on August 23 of that year. The Los Angeles Times said: "Watts at one time conducted a livery stable on North Main Street and another at Pasadena and was a man of considerable means. ... Watts station on the Salt Lake road is named after the deceased, and is located on property which he once owned." The Los Angeles Evening Express said: "Among other property he owned
23700-409: Was originally a mostly white neighborhood in the 1940s increasingly became an African-American, middle-class dream in which blue-collar laborers could enjoy suburbia away from the slums. In the post-World War II era, suburbs in the Los Angeles area grew explosively as black residents also wanted to live in peaceful white neighborhoods. In a thinly-veiled attempt to sustain their way of life and maintain
23858-797: Was prepared to take opposing steps if "neighboring countries" were attacked. Japan and the United States engaged in negotiations during 1941, attempting to improve relations. In the course of these negotiations, Japan offered to withdraw from most of China and Indochina after making peace with the Nationalist government. It also proposed to adopt an independent interpretation of the Tripartite Pact and to refrain from trade discrimination, provided all other nations reciprocated. Washington rejected these proposals. Japanese Prime Minister Konoe then offered to meet with Roosevelt, but Roosevelt insisted on reaching an agreement before any meeting. The American ambassador to Japan repeatedly urged Roosevelt to accept
24016-911: Was present at the scene. Six days of civil unrest followed, motivated in part by allegations of police abuse. Nearly 14,000 members of the California Army National Guard helped suppress the disturbance, which resulted in 34 deaths, as well as over $ 40 million in property damage. It was the city's worst unrest until the Rodney King riots of 1992. In the Great Migration of 1915–1940, major populations of African Americans moved to Northeastern and Midwestern cities such as Detroit , Chicago , St. Louis , Cincinnati , Philadelphia , Boston , and New York City to pursue jobs in newly established manufacturing industries; to cement better educational and social opportunities; and to flee racial segregation , Jim Crow laws , violence and racial bigotry in
24174-422: Was pulled over by California Highway Patrol rookie motorcycle officer Lee Minikus for alleged reckless driving. After Frye failed a field sobriety test, Minikus placed him under arrest and radioed for his vehicle to be impounded. Marquette's brother, Ronald, a passenger in the vehicle, walked to their house nearby, bringing their mother, Rena Price, back with him to the scene of the arrest. When Rena Price reached
24332-532: Was submitted by residents of the Palomar stop , who dressed up their plea with quotations ranging from Greek philosophers to Hamlet . Those petitioners announced that they had recently changed the name of their settlement from "Watts Park" because they did not want any affiliation with Watts. The City of Watts was approved by voters of the district, and it became a municipality in May 1907, with J. F. Donahue, who
24490-680: Was tasked to attack Kāneʻohe, the rest Pearl Harbor proper. The separate sections arrived at the attack point almost simultaneously from several directions. Ninety minutes after it began, the attack was over. 2,008 sailors were killed and 710 others wounded; 218 soldiers and airmen (who were part of the Army prior to the independent United States Air Force in 1947) were killed and 364 wounded; 109 Marines were killed and 69 wounded; and 68 civilians were killed and 35 wounded. In total, 2,403 Americans were killed, and 1,178 were wounded. Eighteen ships were sunk or run aground, including five battleships. All of
24648-506: Was the only battleship that day to suffer catastrophic damage to her belt armor at the waterline from a torpedo. Admiral Chester Nimitz, in a report to Congress, confirmed that one midget submarine's torpedo (possibly from the other midget submarine that fired torpedoes but failed to hit a target) which was fired but did not explode was recovered in Pearl Harbor and was much larger than the aerial torpedoes. Others dispute this theory. The attack took place before any formal declaration of war
24806-438: Was torpedoed, and the concussion from the blast capsized the neighboring minelayer Oglala . Two destroyers in dry dock , Cassin and Downes , were destroyed when bombs penetrated their fuel bunkers . The leaking fuel caught fire; flooding the dry dock in an effort to fight fire made the burning oil rise, and both were burned out. Cassin slipped from her keel blocks and rolled against Downes . The light cruiser Raleigh
24964-481: Was under way on a new school, the contractor absconded with some of the money and his bondsman was compelled to finish the job. Older students attended Redondo Union High School . Later, Watts was a part of the Compton School District , but in January 1914, a mass meeting was held in Watts to make plans to secede from Compton and build a new high school in Watts, at a cost of about $ 100,000. Later
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