Allied Leaders of World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt (Part 2)

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

President Roosevelt is considered by most historians to have been one of the best U.S. presidents of all time and an excellent wartime leader. But, like all leaders, Roosevelt did not always make good decisions.

During World War II, he made one decision that harmed a specific group of Americans. It occurred on February 19, 1942, the day that will live — and has lived — in infamy.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor terrified Americans. There had not been such brutality on U.S. soil since the Revolutionary War, and many Americans feared another attack was imminent.

These fears and anxieties caused some to lash out at Japanese Americans because they were afraid some might be acting as spies for the Japanese government.

President Roosevelt needed to do something to help calm American fears, so he signed Executive Order 9066. Under Executive Order 9066, military zones were created to be used as internment camps that were similar to prisoner-of-war camps.

Hundreds of thousands of Japanese Americans were forced from their homes and taken to internment camps until the end of the war.

Explore the resources below to learn more about life at Japanese internment camps and the effects of Executive Order 9066.

• Japanese Internment Camps

• Do the Japanese internment camps shock you?
• Does learning about President Roosevelt's decision to open internment camps change your opinion of him as a wartime leader? Why or why not?

Move to the Got It? section to continue exploring your opinion about President Roosevelt's leadership during WWII.