SSUSH22a.: Explain the importance of President Truman’s order to integrate the US military and the federal government
- What was the Executive order 9981?
- The Executive Order 9981: Desegregation of the Armed Forces (1948) was signed on July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed the executive order establishing the President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services, committing the government to integrating the segregated military. In other words this order abolished racial discrimination in the United States Armed Forces and eventually led to the end of segregation in the services.
- How did the EO impact the military and federal government?
- The initial response to the order was mixed. The U.S. Navy, was the most accommodating branch of service. The Marine Corps and the U.S. Air force responded to integration as a matter of efficiency. The United States opposed the change. The Secretary of the army went so far as to state in 1949. He said the army “was not an instrument for social evolution.’ In October 1953 the army announced that it had integrated more than 90 percent of black troops in its ranks.
Reflection: The Executive Order 9981 impacts the world today giving the United States a diverse military. More than one race is allowed in the military. It shows that the United States is a diverse country with diverse people. The military is no longer desegregated.
Sources:
The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army. “The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army.” The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army. The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army Https://armyhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/AHC-default.png, 06 June 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.
Ray, Michael. “Executive Order 9981.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.
The Civil Rights Movement 