Award Date

5-15-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

First Committee Member

Susan Johnson

Second Committee Member

Maria Casas

Third Committee Member

Andrew Kirk

Fourth Committee Member

Christopher Willoughby

Number of Pages

89

Abstract

The detonation of the first atomic bomb in the early morning of July 16, 1945, in New Mexico welcomed the atomic age that forever changed the world. After that day, thousands of lives were lost due to nuclear weapons, and hundreds of thousands more continued to suffer from the effects of atomic testing. The Atomic Energy Commission, fueled by the arms race of the Cold War, chose Nevada to continue the United States’ nuclear weapons testing. Knowledge of the dangers of radiation exposure, the effects of radiation, and techniques to prevent exposure are now available in part due to the history of public health efforts to understand and inform people about radiation. The current information held by scientists, governments, and the public about radiation exposure became available only because of the suffering and death of those who did not receive the same protection and guidance that people are granted now. The focus of this thesis is public health in Nevada and New Mexico in relation to radiation pollution caused by atomic and nuclear testing from 1945 through the 1960s. It will examine the relationship between radiation as an environmental factor and its effects on the health and bodies of Nevada and New Mexico residents, focusing on the rural populations of Nevada and New Mexico, who were most affected by radiation pollution.

Keywords

atomic history; environmental history; Nevada; New Mexico; public health history; radiation illness

Disciplines

Environmental Health | Environmental Health and Protection | History | Public Health

File Format

PDF

File Size

792 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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