Cocoa Beach, Florida: Cape Canaveral's earthbound satellite

Cocoa Beach is located on the eastern shore of the Florida peninsula south of Cape Canaveral. Incorporated in 1925, the municipality experienced minimal growth until the United States military sought to expand its weapons arsenal during the inception of the Cold War. The establishment of the Joint Long-Range Proving Ground at Cape Canaveral in 1948 led to an extended period of dominance by the installation on all aspects of life in Cocoa Beach.;This dissertation proposes to examine the impact of the Cold War induced space race via the missile test facility at Cape Canaveral on the City of Cocoa Beach. The development of the Cocoa Beach area is a result of decisions made by the federal government in reaction to global politics. Through an examination of municipal and county records, a correlation appears between the growth of Cocoa Beach and a series of four increases at Cape Canaveral.;Each of these four developments can be directly traced to the overall tense political conditions during the Cold War. The creation of the missile test annex, the Eisenhower administration's decision to accelerate the ICBM program, reaction to Sputnik and Kennedy's lunar pledge each led to distinct periods of growth for Cocoa Beach. Detail is given to the overall impact of Cape Canaveral--addressing economic, physical and social changes experienced by the community.