![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. 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.](/courses/history/21h-211-the-united-states-in-the-nuclear-age-spring-2016/21h-211s16.jpg)
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)
Prof. Caley Horan
MIT Course Number
21H.211
As Taught In
Spring 2016
Level
Undergraduate
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.