As a 4th grader on a class trip at the Henry Ford Museum, I was more interested in having fun with my friends than learning about history. It’s clear to me now just how large Ford’s impact was on the economy and American society as a whole.
When the automobile was first invented, it was an expensive luxury good that only the wealthy elite could afford. That changed in 1908 when Henry Ford introduced his Model T to the market. Ford used the revolutionary assembly line model of production, and the Model T became the first car to be mass-produced. As a result, the Model T was more affordable for the common person, and purchasing an automobile quickly became a realistic goal for the average American. This is reflected in the fact that in 1900, 8,000 Americans owned cars, but by 1920, that figure had soared to 8 million (Poretto, 2003).
Henry Ford’s Model T not only changed the American lifestyle, but the manufacturing industry as a whole. His use of the assembly line model radically changed the way that goods were produced, and it made mass production possible across many different industries. As a result, mass consumption began to become a part of American culture and would impact many generations to come. Additionally, the way he treated his workers set new standards for industrial working conditions (Curcio, 2013). Ford’s implemented shorter workdays and higher wages, giving his workers more leisure time and more money to spend on commodities—a societal change that mirrored the cultural revolution of the “Roaring Twenties” that started a revolution in the landscape and culture of American life.
This photo demonstrates the impact that the automobile had on American life. This photograph was taken in 1912 on a trail in Nebraska, right as the automobile was becoming more common for the average American. In the photo, the juxtaposition of the automobile compared with the covered wagon gives a clear picture of what kinds of advancements the automobile would bring to American life, showing both where we came from in the past and where we were going in the future. This picture was taken in the middle of a prairie that appears largely undeveloped and uninhabited. The presence of a piece of technology like the automobile in that area represents just how quickly this invention would allow technology to spread across America and the cultural changes that it brought with it.
Henry Ford’s assembly line and method of production had an enormous impact on the American manufacturing economy. The automobile also began to incite cultural changes and represented the new age of consumerism in American society, bringing newfound freedom to people in both rural and urban settings. It is also credited with impacting the flapper movement, which revolutionized American society, especially among young people. In these, and many other ways, Henry Ford and his Model T ushered in a new era that would have a lasting impact on the American lifestyle in years to come.
Citations:
Photograph. 1912. By A.L Westgard.
Curcio, Vincent. Henry Ford. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2013. Print
Porretto, John. "Putting American in Motion, Ford Legacy Rides on More Than Four Wheels."South Florida Sun Sentinel 14 June 2003. The Associated Press. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
When the automobile was first invented, it was an expensive luxury good that only the wealthy elite could afford. That changed in 1908 when Henry Ford introduced his Model T to the market. Ford used the revolutionary assembly line model of production, and the Model T became the first car to be mass-produced. As a result, the Model T was more affordable for the common person, and purchasing an automobile quickly became a realistic goal for the average American. This is reflected in the fact that in 1900, 8,000 Americans owned cars, but by 1920, that figure had soared to 8 million (Poretto, 2003).
Henry Ford’s Model T not only changed the American lifestyle, but the manufacturing industry as a whole. His use of the assembly line model radically changed the way that goods were produced, and it made mass production possible across many different industries. As a result, mass consumption began to become a part of American culture and would impact many generations to come. Additionally, the way he treated his workers set new standards for industrial working conditions (Curcio, 2013). Ford’s implemented shorter workdays and higher wages, giving his workers more leisure time and more money to spend on commodities—a societal change that mirrored the cultural revolution of the “Roaring Twenties” that started a revolution in the landscape and culture of American life.
This photo demonstrates the impact that the automobile had on American life. This photograph was taken in 1912 on a trail in Nebraska, right as the automobile was becoming more common for the average American. In the photo, the juxtaposition of the automobile compared with the covered wagon gives a clear picture of what kinds of advancements the automobile would bring to American life, showing both where we came from in the past and where we were going in the future. This picture was taken in the middle of a prairie that appears largely undeveloped and uninhabited. The presence of a piece of technology like the automobile in that area represents just how quickly this invention would allow technology to spread across America and the cultural changes that it brought with it.
Henry Ford’s assembly line and method of production had an enormous impact on the American manufacturing economy. The automobile also began to incite cultural changes and represented the new age of consumerism in American society, bringing newfound freedom to people in both rural and urban settings. It is also credited with impacting the flapper movement, which revolutionized American society, especially among young people. In these, and many other ways, Henry Ford and his Model T ushered in a new era that would have a lasting impact on the American lifestyle in years to come.
Citations:
Photograph. 1912. By A.L Westgard.
Curcio, Vincent. Henry Ford. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2013. Print
Porretto, John. "Putting American in Motion, Ford Legacy Rides on More Than Four Wheels."South Florida Sun Sentinel 14 June 2003. The Associated Press. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.