Proving the Bomb

In an effort to bring World War II to a close, the United States, at enormous expense, secretly developed the atomic bomb and then famously dropped it on Japan.

Pictured here is the CP-1 reactor. Developed in Chicago, the CP-1 reactor was the first working fission reactor anywhere. It proved the concept of nuclear fission was workable, and ultimately, the bomb itself could work.

The Wright Flyer

The atomic bomb could be seen as the culmination of the American industrial ideal.

Americans invented and manufactured many things in those days. Here, two bicycle shop owners, Orville and Wilbur Wright, fly the first practical powered aircraft in 1903.

The PRR K4s

Leaders in both invention and industry, Americans created massive manufacturing and service firms.

Depicted here is a steam engine designed, built and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Once the largest corporation in the world, now a husk of the PRR lives on as Amtrak.

River Rouge

Today the term "creative destruction" is just empty jargon for outsourcing and layoffs, but it used to mean something.

As old industries faltered in America, new ones would emerge, also in America, to take their place. Here, we see the massive River Rouge Ford plant. Automobiles would supplant the rails, and a new industry would emerge from the old.

The Panama Canal

Americans were organized too. This inventiveness was paired with the vision, management and capital required make good on them.

Pictured here is the Panama Canal, a massive government project, under construction. These days, New Yorkers cannot replace the World Trade Center, and Californians cannot even build solar panels, but once upon a time, Americans got it done.

The War Effort

Inventiveness, work, and management skill made Americans a very wealthy people. While the atomic bomb was designed to end the war as soon as possible, it was also a luxury item on the war budget. Americans built more aircraft, battleships, aircraft carriers, and war materials of all kinds than any other combatant.

This is the battleship USS South Dakota under construction.

Uranium Separation

To build the atomic bomb, ways had to be devised to efficiently extract the U-235 from the U-238. Charting new waters, and with the urgency of wartime, Americans built several ways to do the job at once. Pictured here is an electromagnetic separation plant.

Gaseous Diffusion

Gaseous diffusion turned out to be useful, and so the Americans built a massive complex to do that as well.

A committed and trusting people in those days, everyone kept the construction of the massive works a closely guarded secret.

Massive Hanford Works

Massive works were characteristic of the Manhattan Project. Here, the sprawling Hanford plant is seen from the air.

X10 Nuclear Reactor

American scientists learned that uranium reactions produced plutonium, which itself could be used to built a different kind of atomic bomb. Plutonium produced from this plant would be used to destroy Nagasaki.

The B-29

No bomb would be useful without a means to deliver it. Americans built the massive and state of the art B-29 bomber. Shown here is the massive Boeing Wichita plant. Now, Boeing assembles its aircraft by shipping in pieces from around the world.

B-29 Glass

The B-29 effort was enormous in its own right. High altitude, pressurized cabin, state of the art technology throughout. Each cost nearly as much as a US Navy Destroyer and thousands were built. This image shows just some of the factories used to make some of the pieces of glass on the B-29.

Atomic Bomb

Aircraft and bomb would meet on the island of Tinian. Here, the atomic bomb Little Boy sits in a pit, awaiting the bomber.

The first atomic bomb was extremely dangerous to everyone around it. A gun design meant that an accident could cause a partial or even total detonation, killing perhaps everyone on the island.

Atomic Bomb and B-29 Meet

At last the bomb and the aicraft meet. The B-29 is slowly backed over the pit containing the first atomic bomb.

Loading the Atomic Bomb

The atomic bomb is loaded into the B-29, Enola Gay.

Dropped the Atomic Bomb

Enola Gay carried Little Boy to Hiroshima and dropped it.

A few days later, another B-29 carried another atomic bomb to Nagasaki and dropped it too. Japan surrendered and the war was over.

VJ-Day

With the surrender of Japan came the final end to World War II.

The idea of a massive national effort, whether war winning or moon landing, remains a big part of the American mythology.

But could we Americans really do that, again, today?

Nuclear Waste in a Ditch

The Manhattan Project meant taking some risks that Americans today might not be up for. Here, mildly radioactive waste is placed in cardboard boxes and buried.

Empty Steel Mill

Most of Americas manufacturing base is gutted. Here is one of many empty steel mills in America.

The Service Economy

Americans now work in a service economy. Most manufactured goods are imported overseas. Americans work at retail shops and banks selling to each products made from elsewhere, and loans to buy them.

The United States is not the Manhattan Project country any more.