The United States Constitution says that all Americans must be treated fairly. This includes those accused of breaking the law. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments state that the government may not take away anyone's life, liberty, or property without due process. But there have been cases in which due process has been called into question.
Such was the case of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. They were a married couple accused of giving U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Today, you will weigh the facts of the case. Then, you will decide if due process was served.
It all started in 1949. The U.S. government suspected that top-secret information had been delivered to the Soviets by someone within the U.S. In 1950, a man named David Greenglass was arrested for taking part in this spy ring. He was Ethel Rosenberg's brother.
Greenglass admitted that he was a spy. But he also said that Julius gave information to the Soviets, too. This led the U.S. government to arrest Julius and Ethel. The pair were charged with spying.
The Rosenbergs were put on trial in 1951. There was little evidence to prove they had given away secret government information. But Greenglass said both Julius and Ethel were spies. The jury believed him. The Rosenbergs were found guilty. Soon after, they were sentenced to death. The U.S. government carried out this sentence in 1953.
Many people were upset about what happened to the Rosenbergs. Some felt the couple failed to receive a fair trial. People kept talking about it. But nothing really changed.
Then, in the early 2000s, new information came out. David Greenglass gave an interview to the New York Times. He stated that he had lied about his sister Ethel's participation in the spy ring. Why would he do that? Greenglass said he wanted to protect his wife, Ruth, who was also accused of spying.
After the interview, the government shared secret records. These were statements both David and Ruth Greenglass had given to the government in 1950. In these statements, David and Ruth said that they had no knowledge of Ethel ever being in the spy ring.
So, was Ethel a spy? Experts are unsure. They think Ethel knew of Julius's spy activities. But there is no proof that she took part. Even so, many scholars say the question of the Rosenberg trial isn't one of guilt. Instead, it's whether the trial was just.
Now that you've examined the facts, what do you think? Was due process served in the Rosenberg case?
Suppose you were writing a summary of the article. Which of these would be most important to put in the summary?
A. David Greenglass gave a news interview about the Rosenbergs in the early 2000s.
B. Some people believe that the Rosenbergs were not given due process.
C. The Rosenbergs were a married couple in the U.S during the Cold War.
D. David Greenglass helped the government after being arrested for spying in 1950.
11 answers
A. He wanted to help the Soviet Union.
B. He was trying to protect his wife.
C. He was trying to protect his brother-in-law.
D. He wanted to help end the Cold War.
A. David Greenglass was arrested for giving away U.S. secrets.
B. David Greenglass said he lied about Ethel being a spy.
C. The Rosenbergs were both tried for being Soviet spies.
D. The U.S. shared records that showed David Greenglass lied.
The Rosenberg were put on trial in 1951. There was little evidence to prove they had given away secret government information. But Greenglass said both Julius and Ethel were spies. The jury believed him. The Rosenbergs were found guilty.
In this passage, the word trial means __________.
A. a most wanted list
B. a case in court
C> a news program
D> a magazine cover
A. push the U.S. government to hold a new trial for the Rosenbergs
B. let people decide for themselves about the fairness of the Rosenberg trial
C. explain why David Greenglass gave an interview to a newspaper
D. argue that the U.S. government should not charge people with spying
A. in an encyclopedia about the U.S. Constitution
B. in a book about life in the 1950s
C. on a government website, under the term "due process"
D. on a 1980s map of the Soviet Union
3 answers