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The Case:
A contributor in New York City has a scrapbook of typed and handwritten documents connected with the top-secret Manhattan Project, which developed the United States’ first nuclear bombs during World War II.
The most intriguing item is a letter dated just after the war. It’s a plea for reduced secrecy regarding nuclear affairs in the scientific community once hostilities had ended.
Did the scientists' letter help persuade President Harry S. Truman to change policy in the post war era?
History Detectives tracks down the authors of the documents, and explores the delicate balance between science, military power and democracy.
The Manhattan Project Declaration
This declaration emphasizes the need to control atomic weaponry and acknowledge its consequences. The scientists warn of the havoc that nuclear weapons could wreak if not handled with extreme care and consideration. See the pages of the statement below.
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