Industry / War Times
Lesson 27
Definition of industry - processing of raw materials and the manufacture of goods in factories.
California has many natural materials that supply many needs.
Oil has been in California since the very first inhabitants. It was used by the Chumash Indians to seal canoes. The Californios used it to make adobe roofs. It became known as “black gold” following the Gold Rush. It is used to make diesel fuel for trains and tractors, then to make gasoline for automobiles The oil industry helped California grow by bringing in more money and people and helping new industries to be developed.
Water is important to California. The Los Angeles Aqueduct brought water from the Owens River to Los Angeles. A giant pipe was built to take water through the Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert to Los Angeles. Farmers were not happy about losing their water and tried to stop it; but the San Fernando Valley became a major farming region. This allowed Los Angeles to continue to grow because it became a major grower of many foods for the entire United States.
A “harbor” is a protected body of water that is deep enough for ships to dock in. San Francisco and San Diego are natural harbors; but the San Pedro Harbor was man made. Los Angeles had a straight coastline and its waters were not deep enough. In 1899 a harbor began to be dug. It was completed in 1914. Because of this, Los Angeles became a major port which allowed for growth and new industries.
The Folsom Powerhouse was built in 1895. Water from the American River was used to run generators. It allowed electricity to be transmitted 22 miles downstream to Sacramento. This was the farthest electricity had been transmitted at that time.
Wars helped create new industry in California. During WW I, airplanes were needed. California’s good weather made flying possible year round and you could build airplanes outside. California became the aircraft-manufacturing center of the world.
Movies are an industry as well. Movies were first filmed in New York, New Jersey and Chicago; but the warmth and beauty of Southern California attracted film-makers. Studios were built in Hollywood. WW I helped the movie business because people went to enjoy themselves and forget about the war. In the 1920s talking movies began. Movie stars grew rich and famous.
Movies led to the industry of tourism. Tourism is “traveling for pleasure”. Films drew visitors to California because people came to see the studios and the stars.
The Dust Bowl was a 50-million-acre region in the middle of the United States. It was caused by drought and winds. Many farms were destroyed. This took place during the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a time when many workers lost their jobs. Many people decided to come to California to start a new life. Most worked on farms but some helped build the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised a New Deal which provided new jobs building railroads, canals and parks throughout the United States. This hard time in our country helped California grow.
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked a United States military base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. California again played a big part in providing needed supplies for World War II. A large manufacturing industry grew. Manufacturing is the process of turning materials into finished products. An example is planes and ships being built from steel. Shipyards in San Francisco Bay made about 700 ships during the war. These ships were put together like a toy. Each part had a number. One numbered part was connected to the next. Before the war it took up to a year to build a ship. During the war it took three-and-a-half days.
The war also helped industries grow in California. After the war, all the old war planes were put into junkyards. A new age of aviation began. Aviation is the building and flying of airplanes. Three things helped this industry grow. First was the invention of the jet plane. Second were the many universities with scientists from around the world who helped created better airplane designs and more powerful engines. Third, California already had the manufacturing industries that began during the war.
Other industries grew out of the war as well. Better and faster planes created a desire to go into space. Rockets were created and the aerospace industry began. Aerospace was the new word that included spacecraft as well as airplanes.
Francis P. Shepard studied the waters off the coast of San Diego. He was the first American to explore the ocean floor in a deep-sea submarine. The submarine was designed by Jacques Cousteau and named the “Diving Saucer”.
There were also advancements in agriculture. The science and technology developed at California universities helped crops to stay healthy and helped to develop faster, better machines.
Following the war, people wanted a comfortable life. California had room to grow, beauty, warmth and high-paying jobs. Many people came to California for these things and California grew quickly. Thousands of new homes were built. These new housing areas were built outside major cities and were called suburbs. Schools, shopping centers and theaters were built. Soon houses began to replace many of the tree groves and farms that once existed. Freeways were built to connect these cities. The Pasadena Freeway was the state’s first freeway.
Activities
1. Fill in the blank worksheet
The war also helped industries grow in California. After the war, all the old war planes were put into junkyards. A new age of aviation began. Aviation is the building and flying of airplanes. Three things helped this industry grow. First was the invention of the jet plane. Second were the many universities with scientists from around the world who helped created better airplane designs and more powerful engines. Third, California already had the manufacturing industries that began during the war.
Other industries grew out of the war as well. Better and faster planes created a desire to go into space. Rockets were created and the aerospace industry began. Aerospace was the new word that included spacecraft as well as airplanes.
Francis P. Shepard studied the waters off the coast of San Diego. He was the first American to explore the ocean floor in a deep-sea submarine. The submarine was designed by Jacques Cousteau and named the “Diving Saucer”.
There were also advancements in agriculture. The science and technology developed at California universities helped crops to stay healthy and helped to develop faster, better machines.
Following the war, people wanted a comfortable life. California had room to grow, beauty, warmth and high-paying jobs. Many people came to California for these things and California grew quickly. Thousands of new homes were built. These new housing areas were built outside major cities and were called suburbs. Schools, shopping centers and theaters were built. Soon houses began to replace many of the tree groves and farms that once existed. Freeways were built to connect these cities. The Pasadena Freeway was the state’s first freeway.
Activities
1. Fill in the blank worksheet
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3. Paper Airplanes
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