The San Francisco Nexus in World War II

Philip E. Meza

doi:10.5771/9781666941586

The San Francisco Nexus in World War II

Freedoms Found, Liberties Lost, and the Atomic Bomb

1. Edition 2023

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doi.org/10.5771/9781666941586
ISBN print: 978-1-6669-4157-9
ISBN online: 978-1-6669-4158-6
Lexington, Lanham Lexington, Lanham

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Abstract

In The San Francisco Nexus in World War II: Freedoms Found, Liberties Lost, and the Atomic Bomb, Meza tells the story of important events in the San Francisco Bay Area that have consequences still felt to date. He traces the invention of the atomic bomb, from a speculative design for a nuclear weapon sketched on a chalkboard at Berkeley by theoretical physicist Robert Oppenheimer and helped made real by “Big Science” that was pioneered by his friend and colleague, experimental physicist Ernest Lawrence. During this time, Black Americans migrated to San Francisco to escape the Jim Crow South, finding new freedoms, good jobs, and a leader in a singer-turned-welder named Joseph James. Meza shows how James fought for and won an end to segregation in his union, taking a large step toward the civil rights movement. At the same time, Japanese Americans were forced from their homes by a tragically misguided presidential executive order, upheld by the US Supreme Court, illustrating the fragility of liberty in America. These events continue to shape the world today.

Schlagworte

American West Berkeley Physics Big Science California California Modern History Ernest O. Lawrence Innovation and Techonology J. Robert Oppenheimer James v. Marinship Japanese American Internment History History of Science Race Race Relations Second Black Migration Silicon Valley Antecedents UN Organizing Conference United States History World War II

Chapter Expand | CollapsePage
i–xii Preface i–xii
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
1–6 1. The Crucible by the Bay 1–6
7–12 2. Bridging the New World 7–12
13–20 3. Gold Comes to Berkeley 13–20
21–34 4. Making the Desert Bloom 21–34
35–40 5. A Hit on Treasure Island 35–40
41–48 6. Fission from the Old World 41–48
49–60 7. Panic in California 49–60
61–72 8. Drumbeat to Internment 61–72
73–J 9. Developing the Means 73–J
83–92 10. Sketching the Atomic Bomb 83–92
93–114 11. A National Disgrace 93–114
115–130 12. Nearer to Free: Black Migration to San Francisco 115–130
131–144 13. The Baritone Who Broke the Jim Crow Union 131–144
145–156 14. Out of LeConte and into Los Alamos 145–156
157–166 15. The World Comes to San Francisco 157–166
167–184 16. Jack Kennedy Presentat the Creation 167–184
185–192 17. Trinity and After 185–192
193–200 18. Gold in Peace, Iron in War 193–200
201–212 Bibliography 201–212
213–220 Index 213–220
221–222 About the Author 221–222

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