Remembering the Atomic Bomb in its Birthplace, New Mexico

On July 16, 1945 the « Land of Enchantment » acquired a new identity as the cradle of the nuclear age when the world’s first atomic bomb exploded in the Jornada del Muerto desert. New Mexico underwent a phenomenal transformation as a result of the arrival of atomic science in its remotest lands. The...

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Main Author: Lucie Genay
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: UMR 5136- France, Amériques, Espagne – Sociétés, Pouvoirs, Acteurs (FRAMESPA) 2017-01-01
Series:Les Cahiers de Framespa
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Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/framespa/4366
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author Lucie Genay
author_facet Lucie Genay
author_sort Lucie Genay
collection DOAJ
description On July 16, 1945 the « Land of Enchantment » acquired a new identity as the cradle of the nuclear age when the world’s first atomic bomb exploded in the Jornada del Muerto desert. New Mexico underwent a phenomenal transformation as a result of the arrival of atomic science in its remotest lands. The Trinity date does not hold the same place in collective memory as Hiroshima and Nagasaki but its historical significance takes various shapes on different memory scales. Therefore, this article addresses the meaningfulness of the bomb in national and local memories, focusing on the voices which contribute to the expression of its legacy and on the way this legacy is staged. A zooming motion from collective to individual perspectives emphasizes the authority of place on the construction of memory, and shows how the story of nuclear New Mexico exemplifies the interaction of world and local histories when most isolated populations and places get affected by incidents of an international range.
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publishDate 2017-01-01
publisher UMR 5136- France, Amériques, Espagne – Sociétés, Pouvoirs, Acteurs (FRAMESPA)
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spelling doaj-art-b90cf339fc6e4124919979aabe2d80f52025-01-09T15:43:45ZengUMR 5136- France, Amériques, Espagne – Sociétés, Pouvoirs, Acteurs (FRAMESPA)Les Cahiers de Framespa1760-47612017-01-012410.4000/framespa.4366Remembering the Atomic Bomb in its Birthplace, New MexicoLucie GenayOn July 16, 1945 the « Land of Enchantment » acquired a new identity as the cradle of the nuclear age when the world’s first atomic bomb exploded in the Jornada del Muerto desert. New Mexico underwent a phenomenal transformation as a result of the arrival of atomic science in its remotest lands. The Trinity date does not hold the same place in collective memory as Hiroshima and Nagasaki but its historical significance takes various shapes on different memory scales. Therefore, this article addresses the meaningfulness of the bomb in national and local memories, focusing on the voices which contribute to the expression of its legacy and on the way this legacy is staged. A zooming motion from collective to individual perspectives emphasizes the authority of place on the construction of memory, and shows how the story of nuclear New Mexico exemplifies the interaction of world and local histories when most isolated populations and places get affected by incidents of an international range.https://journals.openedition.org/framespa/4366nuclear eracold waratomic laboratorylocal memoryradioactivity
spellingShingle Lucie Genay
Remembering the Atomic Bomb in its Birthplace, New Mexico
Les Cahiers de Framespa
nuclear era
cold war
atomic laboratory
local memory
radioactivity
title Remembering the Atomic Bomb in its Birthplace, New Mexico
title_full Remembering the Atomic Bomb in its Birthplace, New Mexico
title_fullStr Remembering the Atomic Bomb in its Birthplace, New Mexico
title_full_unstemmed Remembering the Atomic Bomb in its Birthplace, New Mexico
title_short Remembering the Atomic Bomb in its Birthplace, New Mexico
title_sort remembering the atomic bomb in its birthplace new mexico
topic nuclear era
cold war
atomic laboratory
local memory
radioactivity
url https://journals.openedition.org/framespa/4366
work_keys_str_mv AT luciegenay rememberingtheatomicbombinitsbirthplacenewmexico