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The Automobile



            Even Barack Obama owns an automobile. Almost someone in everyone’s family as of 2013 owns and drives an automobile. Automobiles have affected the lives of the American people more than we would ever have imagined. From pollution, gas use, industry, and to roads and car accidents, Henry Ford truly changed the face of America.

            Henry Ford is a huge contributor to the automobile industry. Not only is he the founder of Ford Motor Company, he is a sponsor of the assembly line technique of mass production. Although Ford did not invent the automobile, he developed and manufactured the first automobile that many middle class Americans could afford to buy. Ford’s introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized American society.

Since the impact of automobiles first hit America environmental damages have sky rocketed. Historian Mark Foster stated, “One-third of the pollution caused by automobiles occurred before they were sold and driven”.  Automobiles use a limited amount of resources and have serious environmental repercussions. Foster citied a study that estimated that fabricating one car produced 29 tons of waste and 1,207 million cubic yards of polluted air. Vehicle assembly plants themselves are major polluters. It is not clear what the main problem of environmental pollution is but automobiles will forever be the blame.

           Another effect automobiles have had on the American people is the need for more gas. The use of gas has gone out the roof since the production of automobiles. As more and more people continued and continue to buy automobiles the demand for gas rapidly raises. Gas in American society, since the productions of automobiles is a most.  Because of gas junkies the amount of American gas in the U.S. is being ran through and is limited. Due to this, gas prices constantly rise and take more money out of the pockets of the American people. This only hurts the economy and feeds bosses of the oil industry.
            Henry Ford’s contribution to mass production highly influenced the automobile industry. Due to mas production automobiles could be assembled and sold at a faster pace. During the 1920s automobile registration rose from eight million to twenty-three million. Almost every middle class American owned his or her own automobile. This was also because cars weren’t that expensive back then over the years many people tried to join the industry with hopes of getting rich. The automobile industry was one of the fastest growing industries in the 1920s. Almost 500,000 workers were employed in the automobile industry in the 1920 By 1925 Ford was producing a car every ten seconds. Ford’s new T-Model at the time was about $290.

            More and more roads were constructed over the 1920s. Roads were built so that millions of people with newly purchased automobiles could travel faster. Many roads at the time were dirt roads. An act was passed called the highway act in the 1956, which also vastly impacted the automobile industry. President Dwight D. Eisenhower passed this act to provide more jobs for working people. These superhighways became very popular fast and are still being built today.

            Car accidents increased dramatically as a result of the mass production of automobiles. In the mid 1920s an average of ten people a day were involved in car accidents in Harlem, New York.  The more automobiles produced the more car accidents occurred. Over the years more and more car accident continued to happened. People in the 1920s were not the best drivers and many were reckless. Some drivers could barely see over the steering wheel because they were so young. The drivers’ license was invented in 1915 when a child driving a motor vehicle hit a man. The Supreme Court did not pass driver’s license until 1923. Although you have to past many test to get your drivers’ license today. More accidents actually occur in today’s America. This is also due to the large amount of motor vehicles on road today.

            To conclude the automobile had an enormous effect on the American people. As a result of Henry Ford’s mass production the number of American people with automobiles nearly tripled. Pollution problems surfaced as well as a result of the mass production of automobiles. The use of gas became a must and the demand grew even higher. 500,000 workers were employed in the automobile industry and more jobs were created. More roads were constructed which also provide more jobs for Americans. Super highways were built and granted access so that the American people could travel further distances. Car accidents occurred more and more over the years. The drivers’ license was invented in 1923. This was due to scary increasing amount of car accidents that
continued to occur. The automobiles effect on American society will never be forgotten.