Decision making is one of the essential skills advocated by the National Council for the Social Studies for effective citizenship in a democratic society. Leaders in any society make decisions that influence many lives. In a democratic society, we expect that deductive and inductive reasoning guide decisions made for the common good. However, what happens when fear-based thinking enters the decision-making process? How might fear influence decisions that leaders make? In this lesson, students use primary sources to develop an understanding of how events of a war and feelings of fear and panic influenced President Franklin Roosevelt to sign the executive order that resulted in the incarceration of 120,000 people of Japanese descent. Following an introduction to the events leading up to Executive Order 9066, the students examine and interpret primary sources to gain a better understanding of the multiple perspectives of individuals impacted by the executive order.