Which executive order did President Harry Truman issue in 1948 to desegregate the U.S. armed forces?

Executive Order 9981 was the order President Harry Truman issued in 1948 to desegregate the U.S. armed forces.

Truman signed the order on July 26, 1948. It declared that there would be equality of treatment and opportunity for all people in the armed services, without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin. The order established the President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services to recommend implementation steps.

The order did not instantly end segregation throughout the military. The services moved at different speeds, and full integration took several years. The Korean War accelerated the process because military needs made segregated units increasingly impractical.

Executive Order 8802, issued by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941, addressed discrimination in defense industries rather than desegregating the armed forces. Executive Order 10730, issued by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957, concerned the Little Rock school crisis.