Einstein Archives

In 1939, Albert Einstein co-authored a letter that would ultimately influence the course of global scientific progress and war. As the world edged closer to the Second World War, Einstein—then a resident of the United States and settled in Princeton, New Jersey—was deeply aware of the dangers of unchecked scientific advancement and the potential for its weaponization.

After learning of the discovery of nuclear fission by scientists in Germany and Italy, Einstein, along with physicist Leó Szilárd, drafted and sent a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The letter cautioned against the possibility of Nazi Germany developing an atomic bomb and urged the U.S. to begin its own research into atomic energy. This letter played a crucial role in the initiation of the Manhattan Project—though Einstein himself did not participate in its development due to his growing doubts about the moral implications of nuclear arms.

Throughout the remainder of his life, Einstein became increasingly vocal about the dangers of nuclear weapons and the ethical responsibilities of scientists. He publicly regretted the role his 1939 letter played in initiating the development of the atomic bomb and later worked tirelessly for peace and nuclear disarmament. This exhibit examines both the urgency that led to the letter's composition and the complex ethical dilemmas that followed.