Freedom of Migration

Freedom of Migration

“All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination.”- Earl Nightingale

The mainstream use of the car was a cause and a means of population growth in California. Between 1900 and 1930, the population of California nearly tripled, coinciding with the new concept of the car as an essential part of daily life. Many flocked to Los Angeles, where suburban expansion increased at an unprecedented rate largely due to the availability of the car.

Even during the Great Depression, of the 1930s, the population continued to increase as those seeking to escape the Dust Bowl came to California to work in the fields. California’s population expanded greatly during World War II, as people traveled once again by car to work in the newly-built aircraft and shipbuilding plants in the state.

California State Capitol Museum – The Road Ahead Exhibit

This is a website specifically for the “The Road Ahead: The Automobile’s Impact on California” Exhibit. Dates: May 23, 2018 – April 29, 2019 at the California State Capitol Museum.

For Museum-related information such as contacts, hours and location: Visit capitolmuseum.ca.gov.