Nine Executive Orders that shaped U.S. history

Just within the first few weeks of his presidency, Donald Trump has issued executive orders that have sparked up controversy and protests around the country. 

Executive orders have become more contentious over the years and "prominent in the public psyche," said Kenneth R. Mayer, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  The wavering reception of Trump's executive orders could be a result of how easy it is to track the orders. 

But Trump isn't the only president who has issued out rather controversial executive orders. Here is a list of nine 20th-century executive orders that have had a major influence on the history of the United States. 

1. Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 7034 (1935)- As part of the New Deal, Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration. However, the order was so difficult to interpret that Roosevelt himself had to give multiple speeches to describe what the legislation entailed. 

2. Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 (1942)- Following the Pearl Harbor attack, this order resulted in 100,000 Japanese-Americans to be sent to internment camps. 

3. Harry Truman's Executive Order 9981 (1948)- This order issued out by Truman halted segregation in the American military.

4. Harry Truman's Executive Order 10340 (1952)- Meant to take control of American steel plants, the Supreme Court annulled the order, leaving questions about the limits of true executive power. 

5. Dwight Eisenhower's Executive Order 10730 (1957)- This order made Secretary of Defense support National Guard units in Arkansas.

See the rest of the list on TIME.


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