American History: A Survey (Brinkley), 13th Edition

Chapter 26: AMERICA IN A WORLD AT WAR

Primary Sources

1
Read the section of the text under the heading "African Americans and the War," paying careful attention to the discussion of the march on Washington, the establishment of the Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC), and the formation of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). The following excerpt is from a magazine article that A. Philip Randolph wrote after the FEPC was organized but before CORE was born. Consider the following questions: Could Randolph's remarks be interpreted as a threat that American blacks might not support the war effort unless they received assurances of better treatment? Was his description of the plight of blacks in the military and in defense plants accurate? Was Randolph right in saying that racial tension in America was worth "many divisions to Hitler and Hirohito"?

A. Philip Randolph

2
Although delivered before the U.S. had officially joined the war, this 1941 message to Congress by President Roosevelt is considered one of the definitive statements of America's reasons for fighting. What arguments is FDR making for American involvement, and what rhetorical strategies does Roosevelt employ to make his case? How do the Four Freedoms delineated here compare to Woodrow Wilson's rationale for entering World War I?

http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=70&page=transcript

3
One of the darkest moments in the history of American civil liberties was the passage of Executive Order 9066, authorizing the forced relocation of Japanese-Americans during World War II. How does this order attempt to justify internment? Describe briefly the ordeal faced by Japanese Americans during internment and the daily life at the relocation camps.

http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=74&page=transcript

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