Final answer:
Executive Order 9981 ended segregation in the U.S. military and set a precedent for equality of opportunity without regard to race or other factors, impacting broader societal views on integration and civil rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
Executive Order 9981 was a significant legal decree signed by President Harry S. Truman in July 1948, which brought an end to segregation in the U.S. military and laid the foundation for future integration within the armed services and society as a whole. The order mandated equality of treatment and opportunity for all members of the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin. While it focused on the military, the implications of this order had wider societal ramifications, signaling a shift towards greater civil rights initiatives and setting the stage for future legislation aimed at ending segregation and discrimination.
It's also notable that Executive Order 9981 did not specifically include measures concerning the public school system or federal government hiring policies; instead, other Executive Orders and actions would address these areas. For instance, it was under President Eisenhower's Executive Order 10730 that the military was used to enforce the integration of public schools following the Supreme Court's decision.