Tammany Hall. I first heard of it when I was twelve years old, and my English teacher handed me his copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Research: William M. "Boss" Tweed and Tammany Hall - the powerful political machine that ran New York City for decades. Remember the important questions - Who, What, Where, When, Why (and this time HOW these people maintained control is going to be important too!) Have fun!
Create a news article on the arrest of Boss Tweed - what was one powerful factor (think person) in his capture? Where was he found?
Next step - analyzing political cartoons - it's not as difficult as you think!
What is Harry Truman trying to accomplish with this speech?
We had won the war in Europe, we had fire-bombed Tokyo, and still Japan would not surrender.
Does Truman explain that he is going to use a nuclear weapon to end the war with Japan?
People in America were tired of the war. Truman issued the unconditional surrender to Japan, and it was rejected. There were indications that a conditional surrender might be acceptable.
What were the terms of the unconditional surrender that the Japanese could not tolerate?
What was ironic about Japan's eventual surrender?
The city of Hiroshima was bombed on August 6, 1945 by the Enola Gay, and 70,000 were killed instantly. More than 100,000 more died from radiation sickness and burns in the days, months and years to come.
On August 8, 1945, the Soviets declared war on Japan. It is important to note that the Soviet Union was in East Germany, and would certainly occupy Japan post-war if able.
The second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9th. Approximately 80,000 people died there. The Japanese finally surrendered on August 14, 1945.
The letter accompanying the petition Leo Szilard, Nuclear Scientist, sent regarding the use of the atomic bomb on Japan:
Szilard petition, cover letter, July 4, 1945
Source: U.S. National Archives, Record Group 77, Records of the Chief of Engineers, Manhattan Engineer District, Harrison-Bundy File, folder #76. Szilard sent copies of the July 3, 1945 version of his petition to colleagues at Oak Ridge and Los Alamos. In this cover letter, which accompanied the petition, he discussed the need for scientists to take a moral stand on the use of the bomb. Germans who failed to protest the immoral actions of the Nazis, he pointed out, were widely condemned for their silence. If they, as Manhattan Project scientists, failed to speak out, they would have far less excuse than the people of Germany.
SECRET SECRET
THIS PAGE REGRADED UNCLASSIFIED
Order Sec Army By TAG per
720564
DECLASSIFIED
DOD Dir. 5200.9, Sept. 27, 1958
NWD by _____ date 3 Nov 61
July 4, 1945
Dear
Inclosed is the text of a petition which will be submitted to the
President of the United States. As you will see, this petition is
based on purely moral considerations.
It may very well be that the decision of the President whether or
not to use atomic bombs in the war against Japan will largely be
based on considerations of expediency. On the basis of expediency,
many arguments could be put forward both for and against our use of
atomic bombs against Japan. Such arguments could be considered only
within the framework of a thorough analysis of the situation which
will face the United States after this war and it was felt that no
useful purpose would be served by considering arguments of
expediency in a short petition.
However small the chance might be that our petition may influence
the course of events, I personally feel that it would be a matter of
importance if a large number of scientists who have worked in this
field went clearly and unmistakably on record as to their opposition
on moral grounds to the use of these bombs in the present phase of
the war.
Many of us are inclined to say that individual Germans share the
guilt for the acts which Germany committed during this war because
they did not raise their voices in protest against these acts. Their
defense that their protest would have been of no avail hardly seems
acceptable even though these Germans could not have protests without
running risks to life and liberty. We are in a position to raise our
voices without incurring any such risks even though we might incur
the displeasure of some of those who are at present in charge of
controlling the work on "atomic power".
The fact that the people of the people of the United States are
unaware of the choice which faces us increases our responsibility in
this matter since those who have worked on "atomic power" represent
a sample of the population and they alone are in a position to form
an opinion and declare their stand.
Anyone who might wish to go on record by signing the petition ought
to have an opportunity to do so and, therefore, it would be
appreciated if you could give every member of your group an
opportunity for signing.
Leo Szilard
P.S.-- Anyone who wants to sign the petition ought to sign both
attached copies and ought to read not only the petition but also
this covering letter.
Debate:
Post your argument for or against the bombing of Japan in the comments box. Use evidence from the materials to prove your point. Then reply to another commenter refuting their case.
Back in 1860, Lincoln was elected president with all Southern states opposing him - this was largely due to the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
Lincoln and Douglas were competing for the Illinois senate - they engaged in seven debates in 1858, and while Lincoln lost the election, these debates helped to win him the presidency in 1860.
In the first debate, Douglas argued that the Whig and Democratic parties differed in minimal matters of economy - tariffs, for example. He made a very strong point that these two parties had agreed on the Compromise of 1850, which had prohibited slavery north of the 36 30 latitude line in the Louisiana Territory, however, admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. This idea alarmed Thomas Jefferson, who thought it would spell the end of the Union (of the states).
Lincoln, on slaves and slavery, from the first debate:
When Southern people tell us they are no more responsible for the origin of slavery than we, I acknowledge the fact. When it is said that the institution exists, and that it is very difficult to get rid of it in any satisfactory way, I can understand and appreciate the saying. I surely will not blame them for not doing what I should not know how to do myself. If all earthly power were given me, I should not know what to do as to the existing institution. My first impulse would be to free all the slaves, and send them to Liberia - to their own native land. But a moment's reflection would convince me that whatever of high hope (as I think there is) there may be in this in the long run, its sudden execution is impossible. If they were all landed there in a day, they would all perish in the next ten days; and there are not surplus shipping and surplus money enough in the world to carry them there in many times ten days. What then? Free them all, and keep them among us as underlings? Is it quite certain that this betters their condition? I think I would not hold one in slavery at any rate; yet the point is not clear enough to me to denounce people upon. What next? Free them, and make them politically and socially our equals? My own feelings will not admit of this; and if mine would, we well know that those of the great mass of white people will not. Whether this feeling accords with justice and sound judgment is not the sole question,
if indeed, it is any part of it. A universal feeling, whether well or ill-founded, cannot be safely disregarded. We cannot make them equals. It does seem to me that systems of gradual emancipation might be adopted; but for their tardiness in this, I will not undertake to judge our brethren of the South. (1)
It is apparent then, how even a self-assured gentleman like Lincoln had no idea how the slavery issue should be decided. He certainly lays no blame on the slaveowners in the South, and he certainly makes no statement that he believes the slaves can be free and equal it the United States in the 1860s. He says he realizes they cannot be freed and sent to Africa, as he believes they would not be able to survive there. There was already a colony in Africa - Liberia. It was created as an alternative to emancipation in the United States, and its history is just as interesting. For more information, see The African-American Mosaic from the Library of Congress.
1. Lincoln, Abraham; Douglas, Stephen; Nicolay, John G., ed; Hay, John, ed. 'First Joint Debate at Ottawa, August 21, 1858' in 'The Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln, v. 3' . New York: Francis D. Tandy Company, 1894, 1858. [format: book], [genre: speech]. Permission: Northern Illinois University Persistent link to this document: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/file.php?file=Nh358s.html
