EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY

One of the first decisions facing newly elected President Eisenhower was whether to grant executive clemency to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.  As members of the Communist Party, the Rosenbergs were convicted of passing secret information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union in 1945 and sentenced to death.  This case caused great controversy at home and abroad.
In this Five Star Decision scenario, students will first be introduced to the reactions and advice of others outside of the White House based on their knowledge of this espionage case.   Next, students will be placed in President Eisenhower’s position to decide whether to grant executive clemency to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg based on information to which he was privy.   Finally, students are encouraged to use this lesson about the past to think more critically when taking in today’s news about presidential decisions.