3. Explain the significance of the following events/battles Pearl Harbor Executive Order 9066 Korematsu v US

Certainly! Here is an explanation of the significance of each event/battle:<br /><br />### Pearl Harbor<br />**Significance:**<br />- **Date:** December 7, 1941<br />- **Event:** The Japanese military launched a surprise attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.<br />- **Impact:** This attack led to significant loss of life and damage to the U.S. Pacific Fleet, including the sinking of battleships and destruction of aircraft.<br />- **Historical Importance:** The attack on Pearl Harbor was a pivotal moment in World War II as it directly led to the United States' entry into the war. On December 8, 1941, the day after the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his famous "Day of Infamy" speech, and the U.S. declared war on Japan. Subsequently, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States, bringing the country fully into the global conflict.<br /><br />### Executive Order 9066<br />**Significance:**<br />- **Date:** February 19, 1942<br />- **Event:** President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the Secretary of War to designate certain areas as military zones and to remove any or all persons from such zones.<br />- **Impact:** This order led to the forced relocation and internment of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans, most of whom were U.S. citizens, to internment camps located in remote areas of the country.<br />- **Historical Importance:** Executive Order 9066 is significant because it represents a dark chapter in American history where civil liberties were suspended due to wartime fears and racial prejudice. The internment of Japanese Americans is now widely regarded as a grave injustice and violation of constitutional rights. In 1988, the U.S. government formally apologized and provided reparations to surviving internees through the Civil Liberties Act.<br /><br />### Korematsu v. United States<br />**Significance:**<br />- **Date:** Decided on December 18, 1944<br />- **Event:** Fred Korematsu, a Japanese American citizen, defied the internment orders and was arrested and convicted. He challenged the constitutionality of the internment in court.<br />- **Supreme Court Decision:** The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, upheld the internment as a wartime necessity, arguing that the need to protect against espionage outweighed Korematsu's individual rights.<br />- **Historical Importance:** Korematsu v. United States is a landmark case in American legal history. It highlighted the tension between civil liberties and national security during times of war. The decision has been heavily criticized over the years for its endorsement of racial discrimination under the guise of military necessity. In 1983, Korematsu's conviction was formally vacated by a federal court, and in 2018, the Supreme Court explicitly stated that the Korematsu decision was wrongly decided in Trump v. Hawaii.<br /><br />These events collectively underscore the complexities and challenges faced by the United States during World War II, particularly in balancing national security with civil liberties and human rights.