The neutrality acts prevented the US from assisting the allies. Not much longer, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor (pictured left) where over 3,500 Americans were injured or dead. Roosevelt finally decided it was time for the US to join the Allies and fight the war.

Axis Powers

Consisting of Italy and Germany, the Axis Powers worked together to conquer Vichy France. Hitler’s goal was to conquer Britain, one of the Allied powers, but he knew his army was no match for the British.

He attempted to take the war to the air where he set up bases for planes. His plan ultimately backfired when the British utilized fighter pilots from the Royal Air Force. After several more failed attacks by Germany, the Allies began to see hope in stopping Hitler.

Executive Order 9066

Japanese Americans were strongly discriminated for several reasons. For one, they looked nothing like Americans and they isolated themselves from the American culture. Most of them resided on the Pacific Coast, which was where most were afraid of an invasion by the Japanese. Americans became skeptical about whether these Japanese Americans were loyal to their race or country.

Roosevelt then passed Executive Order 9066, which stated that internment camps (left) were allowed in order to keep possible threats in their place. This led to evacuations of many Japanese people on the West Coast.

Korematsu v. The United States

Even though there were some Japanese Americans who were born in American and had US citizenship, they were still discriminated against. A Japanese American named Fred Korematsu didn’t want to split with his non-Japanese girlfriend simply because he was Japanese, so he was eventually arrested and forcibly put in an internment camp.

Korematsu’s civil rights were violated, however, the Supreme Court decided t