Executive Order 10730: Little Rock Nine Summary

Brief Summary

  

The Set-Up

In a less-than-classy move, Arkansas refused to enforce federal court orders to integrate public schools in Little Rock, and the governor used the National Guard to keep Black students out of an all-white high school. Bottom line: protestors and Governor Faubus were obstructing justice by making it impossible to carry out the court order.

The Text

President Eisenhower ordered protesters against integration to…stop it this minute. When they refused and the National Guard did nothing, Eisenhower ordered the Guard under federal control and authorized the use of the U.S. armed forces to remove the justice-obstructing protestors and enforce the law, i.e., let the students enroll in school.

TL;DR

The president will enforce federal law even if he has to use a lifeline and "phone-a-friend" (a.k.a. the military).