How Did Henry Ford Influence Modern America

Modern America was born in the 1920s Looking back at the 1920s we see the birth of modern America. Women started dressing differently, the invention of household cleaning tools were emerging, and athletes were becoming heroes of many. The Jazz Age also came about in the 1920s and influenced different types of music we have today such as: Rock and Roll, Hip-Hop, and R&B. Although, many new inventions and social changes were coming about, nothing/no one shaped modern America more than Henry Ford and his impact on the automobiles, the media, and the start of a public education. Henry Ford, American industrialist, greatly influenced production, wages, working conditions, and daily life. With his development of the assembly line, a technique used for mass production, Henry Ford made cars faster and cheaper than ever before. He allowed both wealthy and non-wealthy to afford cars. Today, thanks to automobiles, people are able to live farther from their jobs and the demand for car parts or necessities has fueled the economy by an
increase of jobs and businesses. In addition to this, automobiles have played a key role in the development of many cities, motels, and highway systems of today. Having not only an impact on automobiles, Ford also provided better working conditions and wages for his workers. Doubling wages to $5 a day, reducing workdays from 9 hours to 8, and giving the weekends off, was how Henry Ford influenced working conditions of today. Along with automobiles, the media also helped shaped modern America. The inventions of the radio and sound films have greatly influenced America’s lifestyle of today.
The radio as well as sound films are probably one of the most used inventions of all time. When the radio first came about it was used by many as a leisurely thing. People would listen to music, religious sermons, news, and sports games. Today the radio is used by almost everyone; it is used in cars, stores, houses, and parties, it is a form of entertainment. The radio has influenced many other electronic devices of today such as the iPod. Sound films are another popular invention that we still use today. With the help of sound films, movie theaters arose and shaped the American tradition of going out to the movies. Today there are about 18,000 movie theaters in the U.S that help fuel our economy and keep America entertain with new releases every week. In addition to leisurely inventions, public education became more important in the
1920s. Before the 1920s a public education was not the main concern of people as it is today. In the 1920s public education became more important when people realized that, “Mastery of mathematics and language could spell the difference between a low-paying job, unskilled job and a higher paying position as an office worker.” (p. )This idea has greatly prospered over the years and led to many public schools and universities of today. In the 1900s the percentage of students graduating from high school was 6.3 and tripled during the 1920s. Today children, teens, and adults continue to go to school to receive an education and a higher paying job. During the 1920s the theory of evolution also became known during the scopes trial at a school in Tennessee. This idea of evolution vs. religion is still around today and continues to be challenged. It is safe to say that the 1920s affected America greatly and continues to do so today. The invention of the automobile still affects modern America today and has greatly impacted the economy financially and socially. It has defined America’s structure and changed the way we do things. The radio and sound films have changed the lifestyles of many and have become an American custom. Its businesses continue to grow today and are thriving. Education has also become very important to America and plays as key to architecture, health, and politics of today. Education has challenged many ideas and influences the way we think, positively.

Works Cited
Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor., Anthony Esler, and Burton F. Beers. Prentice Hall World History. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.