Jeannette Rankin cast the only vote against declaring war on Japan after Pearl Harbor.
Rankin, a Republican from Montana, was the first woman elected to the United States Congress. On December 8, 1941, the House of Representatives voted on the declaration of war against Japan, and Rankin voted “no.” The resolution passed 388–1.
Rankin had also voted against the United States entering World War I in 1917. She said her opposition reflected a consistent pacifist position rather than support for Japan.
Her vote made her the only member of Congress to oppose declarations of war against both Germany in World War I and Japan in World War II. She later left the House in 1943 and remained active in peace causes.