Study Guide

Understanding Documents:  The Congressional Front, June 2, 1945

Context:  After meeting with President Harry Truman on May 25, Dirksen wrote his first post-trip newsletter to his constituents back home.  His newsletters were called The Congressional Front.  The June 2 edition, entitled “What of Freedom,” was the first in a series related to his travels.  On June 9, he dealt with appropriations for national war agencies; on June 16 with the living costs in other lands; on July 7 with the impact of American movies on foreign audiences; and on July 21 with the Atlantic Charter and instability in Europe.

STUDY QUESTIONS:

1.  The original date of this edition of Dirksen’s weekly newsletter was June 2, 1944.  How do you know that this was the wrong date?

2.  What kind of evidence did Dirksen cite to support his idea that “Yes, freedom and justice and a well-ordered world had become our business.”

3.  Did Dirksen believe that fighting World War II had resulted in freedom?