What purpose did Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, serve?
Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, served to authorize the forced relocation of over 100,000 Japanese Americans to internment camps during World War II. It was justified as a measure to protect national security and prevent espionage and sabotage, even though there was no evidence of any wrongdoing by Japanese Americans. The order has been widely criticized as a violation of civil liberties and human rights.
Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, served the purpose of authorizing the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Here are the steps taken by the government:
1. Issuance of the Order: On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which gave broad powers to the Secretary of War and military commanders to identify and exclude any persons from designated military areas as necessary for national security.
2. Military Designation of Exclusion Zones: Under the order, military commanders had the authority to designate specific areas as military zones, from which individuals could be excluded. The Pacific coast, which had a significant population of Japanese Americans, was declared a military zone.
3. Forced Relocation: After the order was issued, Japanese Americans, many of whom were American citizens, were forcibly relocated from their homes to internment camps. Over 120,000 individuals, including men, women, and children, were affected by this relocation.
4. Internment Camps: Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes and businesses behind and were taken to internment camps located throughout the western United States. Conditions in these camps were often harsh, with inadequate facilities and limited freedoms.
5. Rationale for National Security: The government justified the internment based on concerns of national security, claiming that Japanese Americans posed a potential threat to the United States. Despite this, there was no evidence of large-scale espionage or sabotage by Japanese Americans during the war.
6. End of Internment: The internment camps began to close in late 1945 and early 1946, as World War II came to an end. The last internment camp was closed in 1946. The internment of Japanese Americans is now widely regarded as a violation of civil rights and a dark chapter in American history.
It's important to note that Executive Order 9066 primarily targeted Japanese Americans, but it also impacted Italian Americans and German Americans, although to a lesser extent.