Describe why President Roosevelt passed Executive Order 9066.
He was concerned about Japanese spies living in the U.S.
He wanted to ally the U.S. with Great Britain and issue war bonds.
He wanted to ensure he had a workforce when soldiers went to war.
He wanted to encourage women to work while the men were at war.
President Roosevelt passed Executive Order 9066 as a response to concerns about national security during World War II. The primary reason behind this decision was the fear of Japanese spies living in the United States. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Americans became increasingly paranoid about potential threats from Japanese Americans. The executive order authorized the relocation and internment of over 110,000 Japanese Americans, most of whom were American citizens, to internment camps.
The objective of this order was not to ally with Great Britain or issue war bonds. While the U.S. did form an alliance with Great Britain during the war, Executive Order 9066 was not directly related to that aim. Similarly, the order was not intended to encourage women to work while men were at war. Although the war did lead to an increase in female workforce participation, this was not the main reason behind the internment of Japanese Americans.
The primary goal of Executive Order 9066 was to ensure national security and maintain a functional workforce while American soldiers were away at war. President Roosevelt and his administration feared that Japanese Americans could potentially aid the enemy or act as spies, hence the decision to relocate them to internment camps. It is important to note that Executive Order 9066 has since been widely criticized as a violation of the civil rights and liberties of Japanese Americans.