Atomic City: Las Vegas and the Downwinders

Abstract

This theses explores the relationship between Las Vegas, Nevada, and neighboring rural communities throughout the era of atmospheric nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site. Las Vegas experienced prodigious growth throughout the 1950s, partially engendered by the glut of government spending and increased tourism drawn by the spectacle of atomic testing. This growth came at the expense of the downwind communities to the east of Las Vegas, and while the city experienced an atomic boom in tourism and growth, their neighbors experienced a radioactive bust that left them suffering from a multitude of medical conditions. This work looks at the rise of Las Vegas and the tragedy of the Downwinders through the eyes of the people who experienced these two intertwined but seemingly divergent worlds tied together by a common thread�atmospheric nuclear testing.