These pictures show how Americans prepared

for a nuclear bomb

By Atlas Obscura, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.01.19
Word Count 451
Level 670L

Image 1. A display of essential survival supplies for a well-stocked fallout shelter, around 1961. Photo: NARA

The United States and the Soviet Union worked together during World War II. The Soviet Union
was a group of countries in Europe and Asia, led by Russia. After the war ended in 1945, the U.S.
and the Soviet Union competed for power. The next 40 years was called the "Cold War."

During the Cold War, the U.S. and the Soviet Union did not fight each other. But they did build up
strong armies. They started building more and more nuclear bombs. It was like a race to see who
could build more. One nuclear bomb can destroy a whole city. After it explodes, it leaves some
energy behind. This energy is called radiation. It is very bad for people, and it can kill thousands.

The Government Tried To Protect People

Many Americans worried that the Soviet Union would bomb the U.S. The U.S. government
thought of ways to protect them. It set up loud alarms to warn people of an attack. In school, kids
practiced how to "duck and cover" during a blast. That meant crouching under their desks and
covering their heads with their hands. Books came out with tips on how to survive a nuclear war.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

The government also created fallout shelters. A fallout shelter is a very strong building. It was
meant to keep people safe from radiation. Some shelters were underground. Many ads on how to
build fallout shelters were shown.

Fear Of The Mushroom-Shaped Cloud

In 1961, a magazine even published a letter from President John F. Kennedy. In the letter,
Kennedy said people should use fallout shelters. The magazine wanted readers to take his letter
seriously. So, it printed the letter over a picture of an enormous mushroom-shaped cloud. A
nuclear bomb makes a cloud of smoke when it explodes.

Americans prepared in many ways during the Cold War. They learned about fallout shelters. They
got supplies ready. Below are some fallout shelter plans and pictures from the 1950s and 1960s.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.