Date of Award

5-2020

Document Type

Campus Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

First Advisor

VIncent J. Cannato

Second Advisor

Paul Bookbinder

Third Advisor

Timothy Hasci

Abstract

The decision to remove and then subsequently intern Japanese aliens and citizens in World War II has been the subject of many works by historians over the past seventy plus years. Many of these focus on answering the question of responsibility. Some others attempt to place this decision in larger forces at work in America at the time.

This thesis attempts to review the reasons that enabled two otherwise distinguished military officers to convince their civilian superiors in the War Department to move agree to violate the civil rights of American citizens. Also it examines the failure of the Justice Department to prevent this travesty to occur. Finally the role of the President in acquiescing to this decision is examined. It looks at how this dereliction of constitutional rights prevailed and the key events that allowed this miscarriage of justice.

Comments

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