The Barnette Ruling
Not everyone supported the war effort. In West Virginia members of the Jehovah’s Witness religious group objected to the requirement that school children had to salute the flag each morning. They felt this violated their belief against pledging allegiance to anything worldly. In West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette the Supreme Court ruled that Americans cannot be forced to salute the flag.
Japanese Internment
After Pearl Harbor, many German, Italian, and Japanese-Americans were thought to be loyal to the enemy. German and Italian immigrants were forced to carry identification cards or put in prisons. The Japanese had special treatment.
Executive Order 9066
Japanese-Americans were investigated for spying or other illegal activities. Although no criminal activity was found, General John L. DeWitt, in charge of the western U.S., urged the relocation of all persons of Japanese descent away from the West coast. FDR issued Executive Order 9066 in response. Fred Korematsu refused to move and was arrested. He was found guilty of violating the executive order. He appealed his case up to the Supreme Court. The court ruled that since we were at war, the President can take actions which would be unconstitutional in times of peace.
E.O. 9066 established military zones for defensive purposes. It was obvious that they were established for the relocation of Japanese-Americans to areas outside of the zones. Whole families were told they would have to move with little notice. They had to sell or abandon anything they could not take with them. The Army rounded up persons of Japanese heritage and relocated them to camps in the interior. They would remain in the camps until the army said they could return, if there was anything to return to.
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