The automobile, more than any other invention, remade American life in the 1920s. In what ways did automobiles change America?
In 1929, sociologists Robert and Helen Lynd published Middletown, a study of how modernization was reshaping the town of Muncie, Indiana. The Lynds observed that Americans were quick to adopt new inventions, such as the automobile and the radio, but often resented challenges to their traditional sense of morality, religion, and family. This tension between rapid modernization and conservative values was seldom stronger than during the 1920s.
The 1920s was a decade of prosperity for many Americans. Manufacturing output and wages grew impressively during the decade. The most important industry in the booming American economy was the automobile industry. When automobiles were introduced in the 1890s and early twentieth century, they were a luxury that only wealthy Americans could afford. In 1908, automobile manufacturer Henry Ford introduced the Model T. Ford's goal was to create an inexpensive, dependable auto "for the multitudes." In 1908, the Model T cost more than $800. By introducing the assembly line in 1913, Ford was able to mass produce cars cheaper and faster. In 1913, a new Model T rolled off of Ford's line every 40 seconds. By 1925, a new Model T was created every 10 seconds, and the price had dropped to less than $300.
Ford also understood that mass production required mass consumption. That is, he knew that it was senseless to produce so many cars unless Americans could afford to buy them. So, in 1915, Ford doubled wages at his factory, introducing the "five dollar day" (which meant that his employees earned five dollars a day, far more than most working people). Now even working men in Ford's plants could afford to purchase automobiles. By 1927, Ford had sold fifteen million Model T's, and half of the cars in the entire world were Model T Fords. By decade's end, there was one automobile for every five Americans, by far the highest proportion of automobiles in the world. The rise of the automobile industry also aided many other industries, including oil, steel, rubber, glass, road-building, motels, restaurants.