Answer:
World War II became a formative period in the history of New Mexico. Besides the Manhattan Project, which continues to influence the state to this day, World War II had unique advantages and consequences for other aspects of New Mexico and its residents.
The Manhattan Project
The success of the Manhattan Project ensured that the military, large-scale government science, and the state of New Mexico would be tied together for decades to come. After World War II, the federal government took control of millions of acres of New Mexico land, which it used to build military bases, missile ranges, and R&D facilities. The laboratory at Los Alamos became part of a new network of National Laboratories around the country.
The Sandia National Laboratories became the second National Laboratory in New Mexico. Also focused on nuclear weaponry, Sandia was built in Albuquerque near the Kirtland Air Force base. Millions of federal dollars and jobs flowed into New Mexico. As the University of New Mexico grew in size and prestige, its science and engineering departments began to work closely with the National Laboratories in New Mexico.
New Mexico's natural resources also helped promote the state's nuclear industries. In the 1950s, a Navajo shepherd named Paddy Martinez discovered a large hunk of uranium near Grants, NM. This touched off a massive mining rush; by the 1980s, 40% of America's uranium supply was mined and milled in what became known as the Grants Uranium Belt. For more on the history of uranium mining and its consequences, visit the Environmental Protection Agency's website.
Today, New Mexico has more scientific and technical workers per capita than any other state in the union. Electronics firms relocate to New Mexico to be near Los Alamos and Sandia, and to take advantage of the pools of expertise they draw on. Federal investment and the National Laboratories have made New Mexico a center of science and technology.
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