The Effects Of The Automobile In The 1920's

Superior Essays
Today, it is custom in America for citizens to own automobiles and use them in everyday life; this was not a normalcy until the 1920’s though. In the years previous to the 1920’s the only people who could afford automobiles were the extremely wealthy. The automobile that these upper-class citizens would often buy was the Model N from Ford. This was a very large and expensive automobile. Henry Ford knew that he had to create a smaller more affordable car to sell to the mass market (ask for help). Therefore Ford created the model T, a small box shaped car. Since he perfected the use of the assembly line used for production he was able to produce the cars far less expensively, thus making them cheaper to purchase. The assembly line technique …show more content…
All of the advanced technology and new means of production used on automobiles also advanced the production of tractors and harvesters. This advanced production made tractors and harvesters too high tech and expensive, thus driving farm workers out of production. The production of the automobile was also blamed for many social issues. Church attendance declined, which was blamed on too many people going to sunday drives. Cars also made it easier to have quicker getaways, therefore crime rates increased. The widespread ownership of automobiles in the 1920’s also changed the way that teenagers dated. Previous to the automobile teenagers really did not have the means to get out from under the supervision on their parents. Now they could take a car and go out on dates anywhere, alone. This often led to a lot of “necking” in the backseat and coming home far later than their expected. Therefore the automobile was blamed for corrupting youth. Because of these issues there was a large controversy surrounding the automobile in the 1920s. This controversy is illustrated by the humorist Will Rogers’ remark, “Good luck, Mr.Ford. it will take a hundred years to tell whether you have helped or hurt us, but you certainly didn’t leave us like you found

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    The automobile was officially patented in January 1886 and its invention is most credited to Karl Benz, from Germany. The automobile was made in order to increase the speed of travel and bring more comfort to traveling. “The main features of the first automobile was a seat for two, a compact high-speed single-cylinder four-stroke engine installed horizontally at the rear, the tubular steel frame, the differential and three wire-spoked wheels. ”(Daimler). This invention is very important for the novel Cold Sassy, since it greatly influenced the plot.…

    • 1334 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Ford's Model T was a car produced by Ford Motor Company from 1908 to 1927. This car is most known for being the first affordable car to the average middle class Americans. The Model T opened the door to travel for most Americans. Although cars had already existed well before Ford Produced the Model T they were scarce and really expensive for the average American. That all changed when Ford produced the Model T due to Ford's efficient fabrication and assembly line production instead of hand assembly that other car manufacturers used.…

    • 246 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    Total Cost Minimization

    • 1686 Words
    • 7 Pages

    This process manufactured the model t eight times faster which increased profit and decreased the cost. According to the ford website, they were eventually they were making a model t every 24 seconds. Although Henry Ford’s idea to pull the chassis seems out dated to us at the time it gave amazing results and even now we are seeing the results of this idea reflect in our lives. Things are being mass produced on an unimaginable level, thanks to the assembly line. The invention of the assembly line has decreased the time it takes to make the product buy a substantial…

    • 1686 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    How he revolutionized America Henry Ford’s cars revolutionized America by being affordable for most people and was easy to create when he made assembly lines. His first model T car was widely used across America in the early 1900s and even was being made in Germany during WWII. he made a lot of money because of his great design of a car. He made his assembly line of cars in 1908 and revolutionized the industry.…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ford designed the Model T and started the production ins 1908. With cars constantly improving, they are useless on roads that are sub par. Funding for highways soon began and they changed the face of…

    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Changes In The 1920s

    • 982 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Change in the 1920s Gava The 1920s was one of Canada’s most developmental periods, with changes that still impact everyday lives throughout the country. There was mass production of automobiles, which revolutionized transportation and shaped current civilization. Women began to break the gender barrier as the got the right to vote and joined the workplace, leading to early feminism and the way to gender equality.…

    • 982 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The automobile also created needs for new roads. This then creates new jobs for people, such as, mechanized, oil refiners, rubber…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Which was a “stationary gasoline engine developed by Carl Benz, a one-cylinder two-stroke unit which ran for the first time on New Year’s Eve 1879.”(8). In 1913 “A man by the name of Henry Ford developed the assembly line. Improving productivity in the workplace and ensuring that more goods would be produced. ”(14) by 1921 the American people owned 8 Million vehicles. With at least 30 different models to choose from, the Model T was the most popular.…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    With Henry Ford’s Model T (was first introduced in 1908) and the Model A (replace the Model T in 1927), horses became used less for transportation and work, and more for pleasure. Ford’s technique of the assembly line, revolutionized production. The assembly line increase production and decrease cost to produce and the sale price. The Model T and Model A was affordable for most Americans due to the assembly line. Railroads become major form of transportation in the United States in the 1800’s, and remain until the popularity of the car and plane.…

    • 1903 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Automobiles had existed before the Twenties, but were expensive, unreliable, and generally for the upper wealthy class. However, during the 20s, it become more reliable as prices drop and most Americans own cars. Automobiles affected American society because everyone started buying automobiles. Automobiles allowed people all over the US to meet more people. Allowed people to go where they wanted and improved tourism.…

    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    1920s Cars Essay

    • 1421 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Henry Ford was an amazing mechanic who started the production of of the Ford industry and is one of the leading car production companies in the world. “His model-T made about 23 horsepower and could reach up to 20 miles per hour. ”(motor sport). There were about 15 million made between 1908 and 1927. The model-T would soon surpass other vehicles in this time.…

    • 1421 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The nineteen-twenties era also known as the Roaring Twenties was the era that shaped the world to the way it is now. It was the years of change as Americans were recovering from World War I. It was a time of dramatic social and political changes (Benson, Brannen, and Valentine). The nation’s wealth doubled between 1920 and 1929, and more Americans lived in cities instead of farms for the first time.…

    • 1424 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Ford 's invention adhered to even the lower and middle classes such as those who may have resided in the Valley of Ashes as described in The Great Gatsby. The development of an efficient assembly line created a vast output of automobiles which spiked a large consumer margin. As written by McCollum, "The 1920s industrial boom might have been a bust if not for the Ford assembly line. The revolutionary process produced about fifty cars an hour and revolutionized the way manufactured products were made" (18-19). With the amount of car owners increasing at a rapid pace, the economy spiked in a variety of ways.…

    • 1849 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During this time period, the marketplace, as well as the idea of mass production and mass consumption, has gradually become more and more prevalent in the American culture. This time period also marks a time of innovation, most notably the invention of improved motor vehicle models by none other than Henry Ford, a prominent figure in the novel who serves as an alternate God to the citizens of the World State. People would criticize Huxley for satirizing Ford, a man who they would have respected at the time. Some might even feel offended by Huxley’s depiction of the citizens and their treatment of Ford as God, using phrases like “Our Ford” and making a “T” gesture in place of the sign of the cross. Many would have questioned or even challenged Huxley’s theme, finding it controversial for the novel’s use of pornographic scenes and disturbing detail of inhumane practice that degraded humanity.…

    • 1229 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Jazz Age created an impact in modernizing the United States based on technological advances, artistic achievements, and prosperity. During this period, technological advances became something major in the 1920’s. The Jazz Age was a time period where there was drama and political change. The radio, phonograph and automobile were created during this period, enhancing the way people communicated and got around. Music, in this case jazz music, was a big accomplishment and changed the way in which music was played and listened to and got rid of community differences.…

    • 1177 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics