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Persuasive Essay: The Creation Of The Atomic Bomb

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Lucy Treuting Mrs. Menesses English 1 Honors 21 April 2023 The Creation of the Atomic Bomb The Atomic Bomb was one of the most difficult and legendary weapons in U.S. history. It was dreamed about for centuries, but these exceptional scientists transformed history anew with their brilliant minds and courageous perseverance. It changed the planet’s mindset, and the possibilities of science by coming up with the ideas of the bomb, experimenting and discovering ways to do it, and completing the task. It all started with the discovery of a new type of nuclear bomb, which if created correctly, could react and behave the way a bomb was supposed …show more content…

A major decision was whether to use uranium-238 (U-238) or -235 (U-235). Fermi believed that U-238 was the one they wanted, and they conducted many experiments using those elements, especially U-238. Meanwhile, back in Europe, scientists Otto Frisch and Rudolf Peierls discovered a sure way to create the bomb in a matter of weeks. Exhilarated and horrified at the same time, they sent their findings to a well-known scientist named Henry Thomas Tizard, who examined it along with a group of other scientists, who took this discovery very seriously, unlike the Uranium Committee. While frustration and anxiety began to creep in, some men had other ideas to complete this puzzling situation. According to Sonneborn, Vannevar Bush convinced the president to form a committee titled the “National Defense Research Committee” or “NRDC” which then came up with a plan to make a report on what they could make with nuclear energy; however, making an atomic bomb wasn’t included, which annoyed …show more content…

They sent a letter to Roosevelt saying they found a solution to the problem. After many tests, they launched the most famous test, called the “Trinity test” which astounded the spectators who were onlooking. One quote about the impact from the bomb’s explosion was from J. Robert Oppenheimer– “We waited until the blast had passed, walked out of the shelter and then it was entirely solemn. We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent.”

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In 1939, the scientific community, specifically German physicists had learned the secrets of splitting a uranium atom (The Manhattan Project” 2015). America realized that Adolf Hitler’s Germany obtained a massive amount of scientific talent. With their access had necessary raw materials and knowledge of the splitting of the uranium atom, they had the industrial capacity to produce an atomic bomb(“Manhattan Project”2014). The atomic bomb would eventually become the turning point of weaponry during World War II. On October 11, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt received a letter from Albert Einstein about the splitting of the uranium atom which could be beneficial in developing weapons for America during World War II.

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It annihilated a mass of the Japanese population, including innocent civilians. Oppenheimer once said, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” Oppenheimer states his responsibility for the deaths of the people. His discovery also indirectly erupted the nuclear arms race between nations. This was years after World War II.

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Many experts, like scientists, illustrated their opinion to the president. “We the undersigned scientists… believe that the United States ought not resort to the use of atomic bombs…” (qtd in Cayton et. al). Renowned scientist Albert Einstein validated his beliefs on the atomic bomb, and he attempted to connect the cabinet to the scientists working on the bomb in several letters to President Truman (Einstein, Albert). The decision obviously weighed heavily on Truman’s shoulders.

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