Introduction
Throughout President Eisenhower's first term, military spending, particularly in military technology (nuclear arms), skyrocketed. Fearing a position of weakness and military inferiority, the USSR embarked on a similar path that would lead them to be the first to develop space technology. In October 1957, the Soviets shocked the world by launching an unmanned satellite, Sputnik, which could be seen in the night skies with binoculars. The Soviets would follow this triumph by sending another craft into orbit, Sputnik II, which carried aboard it a dog named Laika (Russian for "barker"). This new development exposed the United States' technological vulnerabilities and opened a new, terrifying Cold War reality.
Throughout President Eisenhower's first term, military spending, particularly in military technology (nuclear arms), skyrocketed. Fearing a position of weakness and military inferiority, the USSR embarked on a similar path that would lead them to be the first to develop space technology. In October 1957, the Soviets shocked the world by launching an unmanned satellite, Sputnik, which could be seen in the night skies with binoculars. The Soviets would follow this triumph by sending another craft into orbit, Sputnik II, which carried aboard it a dog named Laika (Russian for "barker"). This new development exposed the United States' technological vulnerabilities and opened a new, terrifying Cold War reality.
Questions
- What do you see in the political cartoon?
- Explain what the cartoon depicts (literal).
- Explain what the cartoon means (interpretation).
- Hypothesize and explain why you believe the launch of Sputnik would shake America "Awake at Last."
Reference Sources
Edwin Marcus, "Awake at Last," Reproduction Number LC-Z62-108455, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Engel, Jeffrey A., Mark Atwood. Lawrence, and Andrew Preston, eds.America in the World: A History in Documents from the War with Spain to the War on Terror. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 2014. Print.
Edwin Marcus, "Awake at Last," Reproduction Number LC-Z62-108455, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Engel, Jeffrey A., Mark Atwood. Lawrence, and Andrew Preston, eds.America in the World: A History in Documents from the War with Spain to the War on Terror. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 2014. Print.
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