Korematsu v. United States

Excerpts

Excerpt 1

Article 1
Section 8 - Powers of Congress concerning war

The Congress shall have Power…

[11] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

[12] To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

[13] To provide and maintain a Navy;

[14] To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

[15] To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

[16] To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

[18] To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.


Excerpt 2


Article 2
Section 2 - Civilian Power over Military, Cabinet, Pardon Power, Appointments

[1] The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

[2] He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.


 

 

 

 

 

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Diagram of How the Case Moved Through the Court System
Key Excerpts from the Majority Opinion
Key Excerpts from the Dissenting Opinion
Full Text of the Majority Opinion

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Activities
    The Case

Classifying Arguments

Primary Documents: Executive Order 9066

A Question of Loyalty
Presidential Powers in Wartime: Standard level activity
Presidential Powers in Wartime: AP level activity
Cartoon Analysis

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    After the Case

Did the Court Err in Korematsu
Cases in the War Against Terrorism
Fred Korematsu's Obituary


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Additional Resources
Densho: the Japanese American Legacy
Exploring the Japanese American Internment
Virtual Museum of San Francisco: Internment of the Japanese

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