Ch. 10 L4: California After World War II

Ch. 10 L4: California After World War II

Growth After the War

• ​The population of California grew because new people were moving to the state.

• Many people decided to start families. This growth was called baby boom. The baby boom lasted from late 1940s through the early 1960s.

• All the new people and new families needed a place to live. Communities called suburbs were quickly built on land near large cities.

• People who lived in the suburbs needed cars to travel to their work. These people are called commuters.

• To make traveling easier for commuters, freeways were built.

The Airplane Industry

• During World War II, California's aircraft industry created jobs for many people.

• Although the United States and the Soviet Union were on the Allies side, they both had different ideas about how a country should be run.

• The period of time where both countries were concerned about a war starting between them was called the Cold War.

Testing New Planes

• Much of the new technology for airplanes was invented and tested in California.

• California's clear skies and sunny weather made it easier to fly planes. Large, empty spaces, such as the Mojave Desert, were safe and secret places to test new planes.

The Space Race

• The U.S. and Soviet Union each wanted to be the first country to put a person on the moon. This became known as the Space Race.

• Both started space programs. In California, the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) supplied many rockets to send American astronauts into space. Astronauts are people trained to fly a spacecraft.

• On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft was launched on a trip to the moon.

• On July 20, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin became the first people to walk on the moon.​

Fill in the Blanks

What was the Space Race?

Multiple Choice

What was the growth in population called?

• baby boom

• baby rush

• The New Era

Multiple Choice

What was the period of time when the United States and Soviet Union were concerned about a war starting between them called?

• World War I

• Revolutionary War

• World War II

• Cold War

Multiple Choice

What country put people on the moon first?**

• Soviet Union

• United States

• Japan

• Germany

Multiple Choice

What was created to make traveling easier for commuters?

• airports

• railroads

• freeways

• harbors

Multiple Choice

What were communities around large cities called?

• cities

• suburbs

• commuters

• freeways