Question 7 • MCPSS AL-Grade 6 United States Studies: The Industrial Revolution to the Present - Summer School 2026
Read these words from President Truman’s 1963 letter.I knew what I was doing when I stopped the war that would have killed half a million youngsters on both sides if those bombs had not been dropped. I have no regrets and, under the same circumstances, I would do it again.–President Harry S. Truman Letter to Chicago journalist Irv Kupcinet, August 5, 1963
Answer
A
It was necessary to destroy as much of Japan as possible to end the war.
B
It was necessary to save as many lives as possible by ending the fighting quickly.
C
It was necessary for him to have no regrets about his wartime leadership.
D
It was necessary to keep other countries from ever using atomic weapons.
Explanation
Truman argues that dropping the bombs ended the war and prevented the deaths of about half a million young people on both sides. His reasoning is that ending the fighting quickly would save lives, so the best choice is “It was necessary to save as many lives as possible by ending the fighting quickly.”
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