In the early 1900’s there were very few car manufacturers in the United States and only the very wealthy owned a car. Henry Ford saw this as an opportunity to produce an affordable vehicle for the common American. In 1908 his creation of the assembly line production would change the lives of Americans way of transportation, create jobs, and make owning a car more affordable for most Americans. The Model T also known as the “Tin Lizzie” would spark a revolution in the way people commuted and also create the middle class.
The assembly line Ford created for the production of the Model T had never been used in vehicle production. His invention made the production process fast and easy to mass produce the vehicle in a factory. The parts were forged and created for each section of the car and placed in a kit for the factory workers to have available to assemble each part of the car as it moved from station to station. As production of the Model T progressed they were able to
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As production increased this created jobs for Americans and they were taught a skill to earn a good wage. There were many different jobs available for many different skill levels. These jobs gave steady, stable income to many Americans creating the middle class. A minimum wage was created for an 8 hour day where workers could earn $5 a day. The mass production of the Model T gave many workers a steady job who may have only been unemployed or working inconsistent odd jobs.
Model T’s made transportation more affordable for the common Americans and gave a greater ability to go place to place. The first Model T’s sold for $825 each which is equivalent to about $20,000 today. This was much more affordable mode of transportation for the common American. They could now afford to travel to work, school, and to the market for supplies. The middle class was able to have some of the same opportunities as the
Other manufacturers were content to target the wealthy American could buy, not even considering the middle or lower class. Ford developed a design and a method of making the cars that steadily and continuously reduced the cost of the car, the car being the Model T. Instead of pocketing the money from the cars Ford used it to make better and more efficient ways to build a car. As a result, Ford Motor Company sold more cars and steadily increased its earnings. Henry Ford somehow managed to change people from the looking at an automobile as a luxury, and more like a convenience
In this year Henry Ford created the first affordable, combustion engine car called the Model-T. The creation of the Model-T changed the lives of every American. Vehicles were looked at as a way of freedom and excitement. Soon after, every household in America had a car. The demand for vehicles sparked a whole new industry, creating jobs, more revenues and improving the American economy in every way. With so many vehicles on the roads, roads needed to
All in all the assembly line brought down the price of goods, such as the Model T, dramatically it also establish millions of new high paying jobs for Americans. For the average worker in this industry only made $1.80 a day but Ford’s workers the basic wage was $5.00 which made Ford a national hero for the working class(Schlager 594). This large pay raise is an ingenious business move because it allow his workers to make enough money to be able to afford his car. All great things do not always happen without consequence. Workers of the assembly line definitely did not have it easy since they had to keep up with the fast pace machines and boredom from doing the same mundane job every day. Supervisors often saw drop in quality as well as output so they had to find an equilibrium to be able to get the best quality possible(lerner 345). The assembly line is not a perfect system but can and will be improved for the betterment of the workers and the company as a whole. As the assembly line is
With the introductions of the Model T, the assembly line and the method of mass production created many new jobs. The Model T 's low price allowed everyone that was making a good salary to buy a car. It helped out society by giving people jobs especially at around this time when there was a lot of immigration in the United States and people needed jobs. "This vast production stimulated many other businesses: The steel, rubber, and glass industries flourished. Construction companies boomed as highways and garages were built. Oil companies, rapidly losing their kerosene business to the spread of electricity, more than made up for it with increased gasoline sales."(Gordon) As a whole it changed the economy at the time but in the long run it changed what society is today. It created mass production which is now our way of production and it changed all of working America with the numerous amounts of jobs it created. "As more Americans owned cars, urbanization patterns changed. The United States saw the growth of suburbia, the creation of a national highway system, and a population entranced with the possibility of going anywhere anytime." (http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blford.htm)
The purpose of making a car affordable to the average man was an incredible task taken on and completed by Henry Ford. His creativity made him famous and respected throughout the world.
New discoveries, inventions, and advancements improved the lives of Americans in every matter but not without a few negative outcomes. The automobile came into play in the 1920s by making traveling common for people that could not afford cars. It was Henry Ford that started the Ford Motor Company which began to produce affordable automobiles known as the Model-T. The Model-T car became so successful that by the end of the decade, there was almost one automobile per family in the United States. This automobile gave people a new type of freedom, however, the car was proven as a dangerous item when in the hands of irresponsible people who would drink and
Since worker wages were increased, and the price of the Model T is so low, now even most of the working class can own an automobile. People can go farther away from their homes than before, making it possible to live further from big cities, where housing is either expensive and mediocre or cheap and low-quality. People can spend more time with their families that would have been used for transit, and there is the new idea of a Sunday road trip around the countryside. Cities, now with paved roads that are filled with automobiles, seem more orderly, and transportation is faster, cheaper, and more
In the beginning of the 1900s cars were only for the wealthy because of their high price point. This made it inaccessible for the common working class of America. Ford grew up in a farming family where the average person could not afford such a costly luxury item (“Model T: The” 1). The high price point of these automobiles was in part because each and every single car had to be made one at a time (“The First” 2). Due to this, Ford decided that he would start his own automobile company, making cars more affordable to the average middle class citizen.
The trip could take days.” This proves that it took a long time to travel before people could afford the Model T. People did not move very far very often so they had to live close to their school or work. The automobile created positive changes in American lives. “With their new
The increase of Model T’s demanded for an increase in workers. More automobiles needed, opened many job options for people. For example, becoming a trained worker for the assembly line. An assembly line will only work if every position is filled, and in full function. A Model T could not be used if a part were missing.
The Automobile was needed in the 1920’s for work and transport.A man named Henry Ford would change the car industry forever. Ford's Model T was affordable to the everyday man, this affordability would revolutionize the automobile industry. The car was almost like a way of life, it was transport to and from work. If you worked at one of Ford’s factories you would be paid better in average than the other jobs. Ford paid nearly five dollars an hour that was nearly double the average wage at the time (Rae 163). Other then a way to work, cars were a way to transport your family around, whether it was around town, or around the farm and out in the country. The need for an automobile was at an all time high, becoming more and more
Social status was vital during this time period. Many people felt the urge to flaunt their possessions because they could with the help of the growing economy. This era was also known as the unprecedented affluence due to the unexpected abundance of wealth, property, and riches. Henry Ford transformed society for the better by introducing the assembly line, which was a line of workers and machines, assigned to one task and working on a product that would be passed and assembled at each point. This method allowed for autos to be produced faster and more efficiently, which was considered mass production. Mass production resulted in cheaper prices of consumer items, therefore American citizens, including the middle class, could potentially afford
Not only did the Transportation Revolution create a wider society but it also opened up more job opportunities in the United States. People were making good to sell to others instead of only making things for survival, people were working on transporting the goods from one place to the other. This created a better economy in America, because people were manufacturing goods, transporting goods, selling goods and purchasing goods thus, making a stronger National Market Economy in the United States. In addition this change made the country more independent on its market instead of relying on other countries for their produce and
The main reason that the model T was made was to make a affordable car for the majority of the Americans. These wonderful invention change the way Americans live, work, and travel. The model T could reach a top
Founded in 1903, Henry Ford managed to get investor support to open the first manufacturing automobile company in Detroit, Michigan. Ford Motor Company has been known for its mass production of vehicles using a perfected assembly line method and its innovations in the automobile industry. Ford’s famous Model-T was developed as an innovative automobile that could be produced quickly, while keeping the cost to a minimum. This allowed people with a lower income the opportunity to afford an automobile. One of the biggest changes in the automobile industry occurred in 1913 with the introduction of a perfected assembly line method. This assembly line method was the one of the main reasons Ford Motor Company was able to keep the cost of vehicles and the production time to a minimum. Ford also took the first step to increase wages of their employees above the industry standard. Although it was still a very low value, Ford offered $5 per day which was a huge improvement from the $2.34 per day that most companies offered.