Civilian Exclusion Order No. 79 Broadside

Collection — Box: GTM Shared Box 22 (Oversized), Folder: 1

Identifier: GTM-20231117

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Scope and Contents

Civilian Exclusion Order No. 79. San Francisco: May 15, 1942. Broadside (sheet size 56 x 35.5 cm).

Broadside notice from the Western Defense Command and Fourth Army Wartime Civil Control Administration regarding the 1942 relocation of Japanese Americans, dated May 15, 1942, excluding all persons of Japanese ancestry from a portion of Military Area No. 1 within King County, Washington, with specific boundary streets provided outlining the designated area, and calling for individuals residing in that area to report to the Civil Control Station in Auburn, Washington within the following two days, with required relocation by May 22.

[Description provided by dealer]

Dates

Creation: 1942

Creator

United States. Army (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of the materials being used, establishing who the copyright owner is, locating the copyright owner, and obtaining permission for intended use.

Historical Note

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From late March to August 1942, a series of 108 civilian exclusion orders were issued by Gen. John L. DeWitt, head of the Western Defense Command (WDC), which directed the exclusion of "all persons of Japanese ancestry, including aliens and non-aliens" from designated areas along the West Coast of the United States. These orders systematically facilitated the removal of all Japanese Americans in California, Washington, Oregon, and parts of Arizona, neighborhood by neighborhood. The first proclamations on February 19 and March 2 created Military Areas 1 and 2, the former including the western half of Washington and Oregon, the southern half of Arizona, and the western half of California from the Oregon border to Los Angeles and the area immediately south of the city.

The initial proclamations encouraged "voluntary evacuation" from Area 1 to inland states and to Area 2. The voluntary resettlement did not produce significant results, and so the WDC moved to organize forcible removal of Japanese Americans from these areas. 99 exclusion areas were carved out, encompassing Military Area 1. The Census Bureau illegally provided confidential demographic information to the WDC to assist in the defining of these areas. Exclusion orders were then issued sequentially, with areas deemed to be the most sensitive militarily given highest priority. Exclusion Order No. 1 was issued on March 24, 1942, and targeted Bainbridge Island, Washington. The orders were posted on buildings, billboards, telephone poles, and other high visibility spots, giving Japanese Americans one week's notice to prepare.

[Historical information provided by dealer]