civil defense policies in the ‘50s and early ‘60s were based on the significantly flawed notion that most of the nation’s population would survive a catastrophic nuclear attack.Īnd when they did, they would need something to eat.Ī tin of biscuits found open, along with other survival supplies, in a fallout shelter dating from 1962, pictured in 2017.ĭuring the crisis over Berlin in mid-1961, President John F. Community shelters were constructed beneath municipal buildings, and emergency government bunkers were carved into hillsides.Īs ridiculous as it seems now, given what we know of the power of nuclear weaponry, these and other U.S. Families across the country (at least those who could afford it) built fallout shelters in their basements and backyards. In schools, children learned to “ duck and cover,” diving under their desks and staying far away from windows in drills designed to protect them during an atomic strike. With Cold War tensions escalating in the 1950s, the threat of a Soviet nuclear attack cast a terrifying shadow over everyday American life. In March 1765, Parliament passed the Stamp Act, a controversial taxation measure which forced colonists to purchase a British stamp for every paper product they obtained, including but not limited to newspapers, licenses, wills, deeds and playing cards.What were postwar Americans planning to eat in the event of a nuclear attack? Hint: It wasn’t very appetizing. ![]() The tax ranged from three pence to two pounds for each individual sheet of parchment, vellum, or paper depending on the intended use for example, a certificate or diploma from an institution carried a two pound tax, the modern-day equivalent of $352.79 USD. ![]() However, such documents were not commonplace a pack of playing cards, found in many households, carried a one shilling tax. In today’s society, it would be the same as paying $8.60 USD, in addition to the price of the deck.Ī popular satirical print celebrates the repeal of the Stamp Act. The repeal, or, The funeral procession of Miss Americ-Stamp (1766). The Clements Library owns three different versions of this print the original was so well received that many printmakers copied it. The repeal, or, The funeral of Miss Ame-Stamp. London: Carington Bowles, 1766.Īmerican colonial protests began shortly after its passage, escalating into riots in the fall of 1765. Colonists boycotted British goods and attacked the homes of tax collectors and supporters of the Act. The law became effective in November 1765 and Benjamin Franklin, then residing in London, received sharp criticism in part for his delayed rebuke of the measure. In mid-February 1766, Franklin appeared before the British House of Commons to speak in support of a repeal. A mere four months after its enactment, the Stamp Act was repealed on March 18, 1766. ![]() Yet, on the same day, the Declaratory Act passed, setting firmly in place Parliament’s legal authority and supremacy over the colonies. A view of the obelisk erected under the Liberty-Tree in Boston on the rejoicings for the repeal of the - Stamp-Act. ![]() Nevertheless, an obelisk made of wood was erected on the Boston Common as a celebration candles illuminated it from within. Each side of the obelisk portrayed the colonists’ struggles with the Stamp Act.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |