Final answer:
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 8802 aimed to ban discrimination in defense industry jobs and established the Fair Employment Practice Committee. The correct answer is option c.
Step-by-step explanation:
Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order
The overall purpose of the executive order issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt was c. to ban discrimination in defense industry jobs. This action came in response to the threats of a march by A. Philip Randolph and other black labor leaders who were facing discrimination in defense industries during a period known as a "crisis of democracy".
The said executive order was Executive Order 8802, which banned racial and religious discrimination within defense industries and established the Fair Employment Practice Committee (FEPC) to monitor and ensure compliance with the non-discriminatory practices in hiring within these industries. While this executive order was a significant step towards racial equality, it did not address segregation within the armed forces, that matter would be tackled later by President Truman's Executive Order 9981 in July 1948.
Impact of Executive Order 8802
The impact of Executive Order 8802 was pivotal as it marked the federal government's direct involvement in prohibiting discrimination and pointed towards the important role the government could play in promoting civil rights. The representation of black workers in defense industries increased from 3% in 1942 to 9% in 1945, demonstrating the effectiveness of the order.