The Growth of the Automobile Industry: The Assembly Line

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The growth of the automobile industry caused an economic revolution across the United States. The beginning of the 20th century, horse-drawn vehicles and the railroads were the dominant sources for transportation of both goods and people. Before the assembly line each vehicle was created individually. The assembly line created by Henry Ford, made automobile production faster and easier. The assembly line doubled production and reduced costs, and made each worker an expert at installing his particular car part. His low production cost enabled the final cost of the car to be lowered as well. Soon more and more automobiles were on the road. “The 1920s saw tremendous growth in automobile ownership, with the number of registered drivers almost tripling to 23 million by the end of the decade” (The Age of the Automobile 1). With more automobiles on the road jobs such as mechanics, gas station attendants and state patrol were created. Financing also became available and Americans who could not afford an automobile before were able to purchase an automobile on credit. The need for paved roads led to a whole new industry that employed thousands of men. The automobile brought economic success to America. Without the automobile these roads and quick ways of transport would not be around. Transportation was made easier and faster, no more buses or travel by train. Americans now had the freedom to travel and explore their country. The automobile was able to cut travel time in half. Life no longer revolved around the busy city. Americans made the move to the suburbs and were able to commute to the city to shop and work. Life for people in the rural areas changed as well, they were able to head into the city faster in an automobile instead o... ... middle of paper ... ...ile “The automobile has created a dependence, society couldn't live without automobiles because mass transit systems” (Negative Impact of the Automobile 5). Apart from creating a dependence on the automobile, traffic congestion, air pollution and fatal casualties increased with the increasing number of automobiles on the road. During the 20th century, the automobile changed American society in many ways. Before the automobile, travel took twice as long and people did not see how they could explore the world outside their home. New ideas were created to simplify lives of Americans and industries boomed creating economic prosperity. After the automobile, new positions became available and gave many Americans the opportunity to make a living. Travel was made easier and faster. The America we know today could have been very different if the automobile never existed.

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