The United States in the Nuclear Age

An attractive woman stands in front of a display featuring individually-sized supplies for a fallout shelter, such as food, and medical and sanitation kits.

During the Cold War, many fallout shelters were constructed to protect occupants from the fallout of nuclear explosion. In this photo, a model displays survival supplies for a well-stocked shelter. (Image courtesy of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Source: Wikimedia Commons.)

Instructor(s)

MIT Course Number

21H.211

As Taught In

Spring 2016

Level

Undergraduate

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Course Description

Course Features

Course Description

This subject examines the unique culture that developed in the United States after World War II. The dawn of the nuclear age and the ensuing Cold War fundamentally altered American politics and social life. It also led to a flowering of technological experimentation and rapid innovation in the sciences. Over the course of the term, students will explore how Americans responded to these changes, and how those responses continue to shape life in the US today.

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Related Content

Caley Horan. 21H.211 The United States in the Nuclear Age. Spring 2016. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.


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