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Why is Route 66 often referred to as the Mother Road?
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Route 66
A final plan for the construction of Route 66 was approved in 1926, and it was built in segments, often discontinuous ones. Route 66 was not entirely paved until 1938. This map shows how the highway connected Chicago and Los Angeles through cities in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
Route 66 is often called the "Mother Road" due to its significance during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl migration. In John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath, the highway is depicted as the primary route for dispossessed families migrating to California. This portrayal cemented its status as a symbol of hope and a lifeline for those seeking a better future. Beyond this literary connection, Route 66 was one of the United States' first national highways, fostering commerce and becoming a cultural icon through song and television.12