US History

Science and Technology

Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Atomic Bomb and the Nuclear Age it started.

A photograph of Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, head of the Manhattan Project, who is often referred to as the “father of the atomic bomb.”

A 1950 photograph of the cyclotron, an early particle accelerator invented by Ernest Lawrence, which was used to develop an atomic bomb.

A photograph of the first atomic bomb to be tested, “Trinity,” which was detonated on July 16, 1945.

The text of an eyewitness account of the Trinity bomb test, 1945.

President Harry S. Truman’s written approval, in late July 1945, to drop the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan.

A 1959 photograph of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.

The memorial is a skeleton of a building at ground zero that remained standing after the bomb called “Little Boy” was dropped on the city on August 6, 1945.

The “Enola Gay” was the Boeing B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

A film showing the destruction of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima.

This 1955 civil defense film, “Duck and Cover,” teaches children how to respond to an atomic attack.

A photograph of members of Non-Violent Action Against Nuclear Weapons picketing in downtown Los Angeles on June 5, 1958.

A photograph of a fallout shelter, built in the backyard for personal use to keep people safe during nuclear attack.

An excerpt from the transcript of a top-secret government meeting about the possibility of Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba, October 16, 1962.

The Limited Test Ban Treaty banning nuclear weapon tests between the US, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union, signed August 5, 1963.

A 1953 cartoon of a hydrogen bomb leading the Earth off the edge of a cliff.

A 1950 cartoon of Death recording atomic and hydrogen bomb victims in his book.

Questions

1. Using the [photograph of the first atomic bomb](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-atomic-bomb-and-the-nuclear-age/sources/50), the [eyewitness account of the Trinity bomb test](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-atomic-bomb-and-the-nuclear-age/sources/51), and the [film showing the destruction of the atomic bomb](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-atomic-bomb-and-the-nuclear-age/sources/55), describe the scale of destruction caused by the detonation of the atomic bomb. 

2. What is the main message of the [1955 civil defense film](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-atomic-bomb-and-the-nuclear-age/sources/56)? What strategies do the filmmakers use to appeal to children? 

3. Using the evidence in the [photograph of members of Non-Violent Action Against Nuclear Weapons](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-atomic-bomb-and-the-nuclear-age/sources/57), the [1953 cartoon of a hydrogen bomb](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-atomic-bomb-and-the-nuclear-age/sources/61), and the [1950 cartoon of Death](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-atomic-bomb-and-the-nuclear-age/sources/62), what were some of the arguments against the atomic bomb and nuclear armament?

4. Why was the [Limited Test Ban Treaty](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-atomic-bomb-and-the-nuclear-age/sources/60) important? What national interests for the US, Britain, and the Soviet Union would it have protected?

5. Using the items in this set, what connections can you draw between the development of the atomic bomb during the nuclear age and present-day nuclear talks?

Activity

Organize students into two groups to research and then debate the pros and cons of using the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II. Students should use items in this set to support their claims. For an extra level of engagement, have students search through Digital Public Library of America to find additional items for their arguments. 

Teaching Guide: Exploring the Atomic Bomb and the Nuclear Age

Resources

1. [The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II](http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB162/index.htm), The National Security Archive. 

2. [Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki](http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki), History.com. 

3. [The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb](http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php), Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. 

4. [Cuban Missile Crisis](http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/Cuban-Missile-Crisis.aspx), John F. Kennedy Library and Museum. 

5. [Documents relating to American Foreign Policy: the Cuban Missile Crisis](https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/cuba.htm), Mount Holyoke College. 

Overview

The detonation of the first atomic bomb in July 1945 started the Atomic Age, an era in which the fear of nuclear attack and the promise of nuclear power pervaded American culture. Less than a month later, two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, killing at least 129,000 Japanese, and precipitating the end of World War II in the Pacific. The bombs caused some to see the possibilities for harnessing the power of atomic energy for good, while many feared the further development of atomic energy for war. The Cold War of the 1950s and 1960s between the US and the Soviet Union was largely forged by this fear of nuclear war. Each nation raced to develop more and more powerful bombs pointed at one another’s shores. The resources here, including letters, photographs, official documents, and film, represent various aspects and visions of the Atomic Age. 

English

The Atomic Bomb and the Nuclear Age

atomic-bomb-nuclear-age_06_df1842213a53fe63ec48b474786a8a01.jpg

Courtesy of University of Utah - J. Willard Marriott Library via Mountain West Digital Library.

Tierney, Lennox, “Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/0b4511b1dc394dd72019175ac019b629.

A 1959 photograph of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.

Cite this item

Tips for Students

Item 6 of 15 in the Primary Source Set The Atomic Bomb and the Nuclear Age