During the period of enormous economic growth between the 1910's and roaring 20's, Americans were getting more money and becoming the spending, materialistic people we know today. As the economy boomed after World War I due to a need for a high amount of production of food, steel, clothing, and more, more consumer goods were being pushed out to the public, and more people were given jobs. These two events go hand in hand - as more jobs are created, there is more money in people's pockets, and the more money there is, the more goods that will be manufactured and then sold to the public.
Arguably the most important invention of the 20th century was the automobile. Although many people believe that Ford was the first manufacturer of cars, with the Model T, there was actually a company that patented the motor 30 years before them. The first motor car ever made and patented was the Benz Patent Motor Car in 1885-1886. Benz, which later became part of Mercedes-Benz, created a patent for a one cylinder, two-stroke engine (normal cars today have four cylinders) which ran for the first time in 1879. The first image is the Benz Patent Motor Car, which has bike-like wheels and a wooden carriage. Although this was not the first mass-manufactured automobile, it was the first of its kind and led to the invention that we know today.
At first, people did not think they needed anything more than a horse and a carriage. Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, was said to have proclaimed that “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Although some people believe that this was never said by Ford, it is an interesting belief that led to his creation of the modern car. As Ford saw it, there was no real need for the motor car, but if people had money, they would buy it. Eventually, in 1908, the Ford Model T was released to the masses, and was a great success. When it was launched, it cost around $850 (which is around $23,000 today), but was later made more affordable and sold for less than $300 in 1925 (around $4,000 today). Ford sold more than 15 million Model T's in 20 years, making it the most popular automobile of the time period.
The automobile was an invention that, to this day, is still used, and in relatively similar shape. They still have the same idea, wheels and a motor. Although we have added airbags, doors, navigation, and a lot more gadgets such as self-driving cars (which are years away), the idea of the car has not changed much since its creation in the late 19th century.
Sources:
https://www.daimler.com/company/tradition/company-history/1885-1886.html
https://hbr.org/2011/08/henry-ford-never-said-the-fast
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_739493
I found your article really interesting! I didn't know people weren't really looking for cars when they were first introduced, and instead just wished for faster horses! I was not aware that the first car was built by Benz, and assumed since Ford built the model T, they also built the first car. It was really interesting to see the progression from horse-drawn carts, to carts with a motor instead of a horse, and finally to more modern-looking cars. The first long distance journey by car was made on the Benz Patent Motor Car from Mannheim to Pforzheim, and helped demonstrate the power and practicality to the whole world.
ReplyDeleteSource:https://www.daimler.com/company/tradition/company-history/1885-1886.html
I found it very intriguing how you mentioned that over 15 million Model Ts were sold in 20 years. I knew this was a result of rapid industrialization, especially with the speed mass-production could generate products out of the factory. After some research, I learned that in 1913, a 60-acre factory was built in Highland Park for the production of the Model T, which cut the time it took to make a model T's motor from nine hours and fifty-four minutes, all the way down to five hours and fifty-six minutes. Essentially, this is how Ford was able to manufacture so many Model Ts in such a short period, all the while establishing the foundation for the era of mass-consumption and further industrialization within the US.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.history.com/topics/inventions/model-t#section_4