In the early
to mid twenty century American culture showed to be opportunistic. Each decade
had its particular way to show it.
“The
automobile and its related infrastructure transformed everyday life as well as
our basic values. From top to bottom in American society, it created wealth and
jobs. It played a crucial role in transforming Americans from producers of
limited number of goods to mass production manufacturers and consumers living
in a Machine Age. It influenced among other things, the nature and structure of
the communities we live in.” [1]
“Like the
house, the car became widely celebrated as an emblem of democracy eve for those
who had not yet acquired one, and for many of the same reasons. As with
housing, cars were the focus of endless technological refinement. They also
became relatively less inexpensive over time, allowing virtually all families
(even individuals) to acquire them. Like houses, too, cars were typically
bought on borrowed money, which was lent in large measure because relatively
high wages permitted it and in turn provided an ever-expanding market for those
who sold them and related products.” [2]
“The turn
of the century decade began one of transition and progress and is considered
the first decade of materialism and consumerism.”[3]
“The
transition in national automotive leadership from Europe and to the United
States that took place during the first decade of the twentieth century is
complex. It was an immigration of Europeans automotives engineers to the United
States” [4]“At the most fundamental level, the car transformed the physical geography of the metropolis. Before, the organizing principle had been the rail line extending outward. Now, however, the suburbs were defined not so much by a radius from the center as by a circumference circling it. Cars also transformed the built environment, whether in the growing prominence of the garage or in the oversized signs, parking lots, shopping centers, or other kind of architecture that was specifically designed to attract motorists. They also hastened the decline of cities by decentralizing many of their social functions and by draining financial resources away from the infrastructure.” [5]
“The 1910 was a decade of great change in
America. It was during this decade that the United States was first considered
the world leader and the most highly industrialized economy. Mass production of
cars created a nationwide prosperity and resulted in one of the most profound
social changes in America’s history. The first moving assembly line began in
1914 and in 1915, the one millionth Model T ($345) rolled of the assembly line.
The model T was affordable, so speed became a big fad” [6]
1910 Ford T
gas stations 1920
“Restaurants
were also integral to life along the road. Many hungry travelers during the
1920s and 1930s gobbled hot dogs. And while the hot dog remains a popular meal
at truck stops across America, with the rise of the divided highways slowly but
surely the distinctive meal was supplanted by chain and fast food restaurants.
[8]
[1] Heitmann, John, The Automobile and American
Life (North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2009),
3.
[2] Cullen, Jim, American Dream, The (New
York: Oxford University Press, 2003), 149-150.
[4] Heitmann, John, The Automobile and American
Life (North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2009),
18.
[5] Cullen, Jim, American Dream, The (New
York: Oxford University Press, 2003), 149.
[7] Heitmann, John, The Automobile and American
Life (North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2009),
81
[8] Heitmann, John, The Automobile and American
Life (North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2009),
83.
.
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