The Atomic Bomb & the Secret City

Dan Snow's History Hit

History Hit

History

4.7 • 12.9K Ratings

🗓️ 28 September 2022

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1939 Franklin D Roosevelt received a letter from Albert Einstein, warning him that the Nazis might be developing nuclear weapons. America has to act fast.

What follows is the creation of a secret city in the rural area of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Around 75,000 people moved to the secret city during World War Two, and the first atomic bomb was developed in just 28 months.

Don Wildman is joined by historian, Ray Smith, to find out how it was possible, and to hear about the experiences of the people who worked at Oak Ridge, most of whom didn't know what they were creating.

You can find out more here.

The senior producer was Charlotte Long. The producer was Benjie Guy. Mixed by Thomas Ntinas. Special thanks to Fendall Fulton.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello everyone, welcome to Downs Nose History Hit.
0:02.7	Today is a big day.
0:03.7	What you've all been waiting for is another podcast.
0:06.2	Another podcast and that has dropped.
0:07.7	We've got American History Hit.
0:10.0	It's like Downs Nose History Hit, but like all things American, it's just bigger.
0:13.5	It's bigger.
0:14.5	It's going to be more ambitious.
0:15.5	It stretches from sea to shining sea.
0:18.6	That's what's happening with this American History Hit and it's hosted by my great friend,
0:23.6	my colleague Don Wildman, legendary broadcaster in the US.
0:29.1	How's it going?
0:30.1	Oh, thank you very much.
0:31.1	It's going well.
0:32.1	I'm already in the weeds with this thing, having a good time.
0:35.5	Doing American History, which is my favorite thing in the world to talk about.
0:38.4	Ask my friends and family have been born in for years.
0:40.9	This series, which you have gifted me across the ocean, is an eclectic fare.
0:47.7	We've already done episodes of World War II, Battle of Midway, Waddle Canal to Okinawa
0:52.8	with the great author, Saul David.
0:55.0	He covered Native American History with Pontiacs Rebellion, Post-colonial History with the
0:59.6	Declaration of Independence, even the Hollywood Blacklist.
	...

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