Japanese Internment Camp Timeline

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  • In a letter to President Roosevelt

    In a letter to President Roosevelt
    In a letter to President Roosevelt, Representative John Dingell of Michigan suggests imprisoning Hawaiian Japanese Americans as hostages to ensure safety.

  • The attack on Pearl Harbor

    The attack on Pearl Harbor
    The attack on Pearl Harbor. Local authorities and the F.B.I. begin to round up the leadership of the Japanese American communities

  • Executive Order 9066

    Executive Order 9066
    President Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066 which allows military authorities to exclude anyone from anywhere without trial or hearings. Though the subject of only limited interest at the time, this order set the stage for the entire forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans.

  • Public Proclamation

    Public Proclamation
    Gen. John L. DeWitt issues Public Proclamation No. 1 which creates Military Areas Nos. 1 and 2. Military Area No. 1 includes the western portion of California, Oregon and Washington, and part of Arizona while Military Area No. 2 includes the rest of these states. The proclamation also hints that people might be excluded from Military Area No. 1.

  • Executive Order 9102

    Executive Order 9102
    The president signs Executive Order 9102 establishing the War Relocation Authority.

  • Manzanar, CA

    Manzanar, CA
    Closed November 21, 1945.
    Peak population 10,046.

  • Civilian Exclusion Order

    Civilian Exclusion Order
    The first Civilian Exclusion Order issued by the Army is issued for the Bainbridge Island area near Seattle. The forty-five families there are given one week to prepare. By the end of October, 108 exclusion orders would be issued, and all Japanese Americans in Military Area No. 1 and the California portion of No. 2 would be incarcerated.

  • Poston (Colorado River), AZ

    Poston (Colorado River), AZ
    Closed November 28, 1945.
    Peak population 17,814.

  • Tule Lake, CA

    Tule Lake, CA
    Closed March 20, 1946.
    Peak population 18,789.

  • Gila River, AZ

    Gila River, AZ
    The 16,500-acre site actually consisted of two separate camps, with the larger of the two, Butte Camp, located 3-1/2 miles west of Canal Camp.
    Internees mainly rom the Sacramento Delta area, Fresno County and the Los Angeles area. population of 13,348
    Gila River was considered a showplace compared with the other camps
    Closed: Nov, 10, 1945

  • Minidoka, ID

    Minidoka, ID
    Closed October 28, 1945.
    Peak population 9,397.

  • Heart Mountain, WY

    Heart Mountain, WY
    Many were destined to stay within its barbed wire confines the entire time. At its peak, the camp population was 10,767.
    Closed November 10, 1945.

  • Amache (Grananda), CO

    Amache (Grananda), CO
    only a portion of the camp was habitable, but the Western Defense Command refused to alter its schedule of removals.
    The camp was surrounded with a fence, and guard towers were equiped with machine guns.
    Closed: October 15, 1945

  • Rohwer, AR

    Rohwer, AR
    Closed November 30, 1945.
    Peak population 8,475.

  • Jerome, AR

    Jerome, AR
    Closed June 30, 1944.
    Peak population 8,497.

  • The final decision.

    The final decision.
    The WRA announced that all internment camps would be closed before the end of 1945. the Supreme Court of the United States clarified the legality of the exclusion process under Order 9066 by two decisions. Korematsu v. United States sated that the exclusion process was fairly constitutional. Ex parte Endo declared that citizens of the United States, regardless of cultural descent, could not be detained without cause.

  • The end of exclusion order

    The end of exclusion order
    the exclusion order was rescinded entirely.