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NAME _______________________________________ DATE _______________ CLASS _________

The Jazz Age, 1921–1929

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PACIFICOCEAN

Santa Ana

South Beach

Long Beach

Azusa

Covina

Redondo BeachHermosa Beach

ManhattanBeach

Wilmington

BeverlyHills

Burbank

Torrence

Compton

Los Angeles

San Pedro

Fullerton

La Habera

Whittier

Glendale Pasadena

Montebello

Anaheim

Lynwood

South Gate

Maywood

HuntingtonPark

MontereyPark

AlhambraSan Gabriel

San Marino

Monrovia

Hawthorne

Inglewood

Culver City

Hollywood

SantaMonica

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The City of Los Angeles, 1939

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Urban area

PACIFICOCEAN

Santa Ana

South Beach

Long Beach

Azusa

Redondo BeachHermosa Beach

ManhattanBeach

Wilmington

Beverly Hills

Burbank

Compton

Los Angeles

San Pedro

Fullerton

Whittier

Glendale Pasadena

Anaheim

HuntingtonPark

Alhambra

Monrovia

Inglewood

Culver City

Hollywood

SantaMonica

0 6 km

6 miles0

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The City of Los Angeles, 1929

Urban area

Geography and History Activity

The Impact of the Automobile on U.S. Life

SuburbanizationThe rise of the automobile changed U.S. society by altering the way Americans related to the geography around them. The mobility provided by the automobile eased the isolation of rural life, enabling people in the country to enjoy the benefits of the city. At the same time, it enabled people to move out of the city without giving up the cultural and economic benefits of city life. The suburban commuter became a common figure in the workplace as “bedroom communities” spread outward from the cities. The automobile also made it possible for Americans to travel more within the country. There was a rise in camping as the automobile gave urban and suburban Americans greater access to rural and wilderness areas. Roadside motels popped up all over the country to accommodate these travelers.

Car CitiesThe automobile not only led to suburbanization and greater access to the countryside, it altered U.S. cities as well. The rise of the automobile led to a decline in the use of mass transportation, such as railroads and trolleys, and resulted in the growth of highway systems. With widespread automobile ownership, cities could grow outward instead of just upward. In places such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Detroit, where there was room to move outward, the urban landscape spread farther and farther from the original urban core.

Caption: These road maps of Los Angeles from 1929 (left) and 1939 (right) show significant growth in the city even during the Great Depression. Consider how the rise of the automobile contributed to this growth.

United States History and Geography: Modern Times

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netw rks

NAME _______________________________________ DATE _______________ CLASS _________

The Jazz Age, 1921–1929

Copyright ©

The McG

raw-H

ill Com

panies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom

use.Geography and History Activity Cont.

Understanding Concepts1. Why did widespread automobile ownership lead to the growth of the suburbs?

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2. Why did the rise of the automobile lead to a decline in public transportation?

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3. What do you think allowed some cities, such as Los Angeles and Detroit, to grow into “car cities” while others did not?

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Applying Concepts4. What are some of the long-term effects of the United States's having become a car-

oriented society during the twentieth century?

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5. Some U.S. cities have been afflicted by “suburban sprawl,” where the suburban landscape goes on for miles and miles around the city itself, leading to a spread-out and homogenized semi-urban landscape. The automobile certainly contributed to this development. What factors other than the automobile do you think have contributed to suburban sprawl?

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Directions: Answer the questions below in the space provided.

United States History and Geography: Modern Times

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