Civilian Exclusion Order for Bainbridge Island
3/24/1942
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Following the attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, government suspicion arose around persons of Japanese descent. The entire West Coast was deemed a military area and was divided into military zones. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 authorized military commanders to exclude civilians from military areas.
Although the language of the executive order did not specify any ethnic group, Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt of the Western Defense Command proceeded to announce curfews that included only Japanese Americans. Next, he encouraged voluntary evacuation by Japanese Americans from a limited number of areas.
The document seen here ordered "that all persons of Japanese ancestry, including aliens and non-aliens, be excluded" from Bainbridge Island in Washington State. This was part of "Military Area No. 1," that included western Washington and Oregon, southern Arizona, and western California from the Oregon border to Los Angeles and the area south of Los Angeles.
It describes how Japanese Americans should go to a place of their choosing outside Military Area No. 1, or go to a temporary "reception center" under government supervision for later relocation. It includes "Instructions to all Japanese Living on Bainbridge Island" about how the Civil Control Office would transport them and provide services with respect to the leasing, sale, or storage of their property. It also outlines rules to follow, including bringing only limited clothing and household essentials, receiving medical examinations, and reporting in person for further instruction.
The document informs Japanese Americans that, on March 21, 1942, Congress passed Public Law 503, which made violation of Executive Order 9066 a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and a $5,000 fine, and that "alien Japanese will be subject to immediate apprehensions and internment."
About seven percent of the total Japanese American population in the "military areas" complied with voluntary evacuation. On March 29, 1942, under the authority of Executive Order 9066, DeWitt issued Public Proclamation No. 4, which began the forced evacuation and detention of West Coast residents of Japanese-American ancestry on a 48-hour notice.
Although the language of the executive order did not specify any ethnic group, Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt of the Western Defense Command proceeded to announce curfews that included only Japanese Americans. Next, he encouraged voluntary evacuation by Japanese Americans from a limited number of areas.
The document seen here ordered "that all persons of Japanese ancestry, including aliens and non-aliens, be excluded" from Bainbridge Island in Washington State. This was part of "Military Area No. 1," that included western Washington and Oregon, southern Arizona, and western California from the Oregon border to Los Angeles and the area south of Los Angeles.
It describes how Japanese Americans should go to a place of their choosing outside Military Area No. 1, or go to a temporary "reception center" under government supervision for later relocation. It includes "Instructions to all Japanese Living on Bainbridge Island" about how the Civil Control Office would transport them and provide services with respect to the leasing, sale, or storage of their property. It also outlines rules to follow, including bringing only limited clothing and household essentials, receiving medical examinations, and reporting in person for further instruction.
The document informs Japanese Americans that, on March 21, 1942, Congress passed Public Law 503, which made violation of Executive Order 9066 a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and a $5,000 fine, and that "alien Japanese will be subject to immediate apprehensions and internment."
About seven percent of the total Japanese American population in the "military areas" complied with voluntary evacuation. On March 29, 1942, under the authority of Executive Order 9066, DeWitt issued Public Proclamation No. 4, which began the forced evacuation and detention of West Coast residents of Japanese-American ancestry on a 48-hour notice.
This primary source comes from the Records of the War Relocation Authority.
National Archives Identifier: 48566387
Full Citation: [R9A.18] Reports on Civilian Exclusion Orders Nos. 1-21; 3/24/1942; Reel 9A; San Francisco Branch Evacuee Property Files, 3/18/1942 - 6/30/1946; Records of the War Relocation Authority, Record Group 210; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/civilian-exclusion-order-bainbridge-island, May 31, 2023]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
