Abstract
On July 16, 1945, just outside the small town of Carrizozo on the high desert of New Mexico the United States entered the atomic age with a single flash of light. With this era came the promise that nuclear energy would revolutionize the future through inexpensive and inexhaustible electricity. This atomic future seemed bright by the end of the 1950s as the US government began building mighty nuclear ships, operating civilian nuclear power stations, and forging international contracts to develop further infrastructure for the miraculous power source. However, through the 1960s a palpable sense of danger surrounded nuclear power. By the 1970s the failure of the nuclear age was clear to Americans as the nation faced an energy crisis that nuclear power could not overcome. Popular media and especially films from each of these eras reflected the hopes and anxieties of the American public. This I.S. tells that story.
Advisor
Roche, Jeff
Department
History
Recommended Citation
Powers, Samuel William, "Nuclear Power Plays: An Examination of US Opinion on the Nuclear Energy Industry through Film" (2023). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 10772.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/10772
Disciplines
Cultural History | United States History
Keywords
History, Cultural History, Nuclear, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Film, Cinema
Publication Date
2023
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2023 Samuel William Powers