The Presidential Timeline

The Process

This webquest will allow you to examine primary source materials. These include artifacts from the time of the Second World War. Often, these artifacts will be difficult to read, and you may not understand their significance when you first look at them; however, you will be provided with questions or other aids to help you decipher and understand what you are examining.

Step 1: Analyzing a primary source document

Read the document below and answer the following questions:

White House Press Release.

Letter from Henry Stimson to Harry S. Truman, accompanied by a memorandum.

Petition to the President of the United States.

1. Who wrote this document?
2. What is the purpose of this document?
3. What date was this document issued?
4. Why is the name of the city left out?
5. Why does the atomic bomb's power have to be explained?
6. Look at the last paragraph of the second page of the press release. What were Truman's plans for ending the war? Did he accomplish those goals in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Why or why not?
7. On page three, Truman advocates the use of atomic power for world peace. How does he propose to fulfill this goal?
8. What reasons does President Truman use to justify dropping the bomb?

Step 2:

Look at the evaluation rubric to understand how your teacher will assess you on this activity.

Step 3: Five Reasons for Dropping the Atomic Bomb

According to J. Samuel Walker in his book, Prompt and Utter Destruction: Truman and the Use of the Atomic Bomb Against Japan, Truman justified dropping the bomb with five reasons:

• it would end the war successfully at the earliest possible moment
• it justified the effort and expense of building the atomic bombs
• it offered hope of achieving diplomatic gains in the growing rivalry with the Soviet Union
• there were a lack of incentives not to use the weapons
• because of America's hatred of the Japanese and a desire for vengeance

Discuss these five reasons with your class. Using facts and figures to support your answer, can your class find:

• more reasons to justify dropping the bomb?
• reasons not to drop to bomb?

Step 4:

Divide the class into five groups, giving each group one of the reasons. In the groups, do the following:

Explain the reason in their own words.

Explain why you agree or disagree with President Truman's thinking?

Step 5:

Present your conclusions to the rest of the class.