The Promise Signed in San Francisco
In the spring of 1945, World War II was nearing its end, leaving cities across Europe and Asia in ruins and millions of families displaced. Leaders from around the world recognized that simply winning the war was not enough. They needed to build a system that could prevent such widespread destruction from ever happening again. In April of that year, delegates from fifty nations traveled to California for the San Francisco Conference. Their mission was ambitious: write a founding rulebook for a brand-new global partnership called the United Nations.
For two intense months, diplomats debated how this organization would operate. They drafted the United Nations Charter, an agreement designed to maintain international peace and security, encourage friendly relations among nations, and promote cooperation on global problems. On June 26, 1945, the delegates gathered in the auditorium of the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco to formally sign the document. Using pens dipped in black ink, representatives placed their signatures beneath the text of the Charter, making a public commitment to settle future disputes through dialogue rather than warfare.
- delegates:
- People chosen to represent others at a formal meeting or conference.
- diplomats:
- Officials representing a country in discussions and relations with other nations.
- ratified:
- Formally approved and accepted to make an agreement legally valid.
- treaty:
- A formal, legally binding agreement made between independent countries.
- sovereign:
- Independent and having self-governing authority over its own affairs.
- disputes:
- Disagreements or arguments between different parties or countries.
- cooperation:
- The act of working together toward a shared goal or common purpose.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Vocabulary
Practice words from the passage with a printable worksheet.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What core problem motivated world leaders to organize the San Francisco Conference in 1945?
- 2Why was signing the United Nations Charter on June 26 not enough to make the organization operational?
You Might Also Like
About this explanatory article passage for 6th Grade
“The Promise Signed in San Francisco” is a explanatory article reading passage about Creation of the United Nations Charter, written for 6th Grade. It takes about 3 minutes to read (502 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.