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The Constitution and Military Powers (1959)

Public Broadcasting1959Creative Commons
Poster for The Constitution and Military Powers (1959)

About this film

Wartime conflicts of individual rights and governmental powers, as exemplified in a Civil War case and a World War II case -- each posing an issue of military jurisdiction over civilians -- are studied during this program. The World War II jurisdiction over civilians -- are studied during this program. The World War II case, Korematsu vs. US, challenged the governments rights to order into confinement, solely on grounds of ancestry, a citizen born in the US, not charged with any offense. Re-enactments were filmed in the San Francisco Bay Area at various locations, including shipyards, nurseries and Tanforan Racetrack. Historic films of Japanese relocations from the National Archives are seen and a sequence on the case of Ex Parte Milligan based on material from Harpers Weekly is used. Appearing as themselves are Erest Besig, of the San Francisco office of the American Civil Liberties Union; Wayne Collins, attorney; military police; shipyard workers, and several Japanese Americans. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)

Directors & creators

Library of Congress

Subjects

Korematsu v. United States, Japanese American internment, Japanese American incarceration, World War II civil liberties, Ex Parte Milligan, Civil War military tribunals, Fred Korematsu, American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, Tanforan Racetrack, constitutional law, military jurisdiction, civil liberties, National Educational Television, 1950s educational television, war powers

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