America Between the Wars The Roaring 20 s And

America Between the Wars The Roaring 20’s And The Great Depression

As the war ended in 1918, America finds itself as one of the strongest nations in the world With this change America finds itself in a period of prosperity and plenty of new inventions to enjoy.

America On the Move

Ever since the 1860’s, people had been experimenting with vehicles that did not need animals to pull them. Bicycles inspired many inventors.

Henry Ford’s Bright Idea The first gasoline powered cars moved at a whopping six miles per hour. People became obsessed with these temperamental, new vehicles. One of those “obsessed” people was young Henry Ford.

The Horseless Carriage By 1896 he had built his first car, which he called the Quadricycle, and spent the next few years experimenting, tinkering, and constantly trying to improve its designs. Ford’s first quadricycle could only go forward and steered like a ship, using a tiller.

Carmakers other than Ford were having far greater success. By 1900 the Europeans were building far-more advanced cars. But Ford loved cars, and came up with a better idea of how to build them, The Assembly Line. Ransom Olds was the pioneer of the American auto industry. He invented the assembly line in 1901. (Henry Ford improved upon the idea by installing conveyor belts. )

Words to Know Mechanization (mek-uh-niz-ay-shun): The use of machines to replace human and animal labor. Ford’s genius lay in the mechanization of car manufacturing.

A Car for Everyone In 1903 after two failures, the Ford Motor Company opened its doors in a small brick building in Detroit, Michigan. At first, the tiny company could make only a few cars a day, but Ford had big plans. He wanted to build a car that everyone could afford. He wanted his car to be easy to run and maintain so he used simple, standard parts. His Model T, introduced in 1908, did just that, and it transformed America. By 1908 half the cars on the road were Model T’s. Ford’s Model T, sometimes called the “Tin Lizzie, ” was a car the average American could afford.

On the Assembly Line Ford had a better idea. He built conveyor belts to bring workers a steady supply of parts they needed; things like steering wheels, wheel spokes, and seats, which kept his assembly line moving constantly. It took far less time to build a car this way, so Ford’s cars cost less. Owning a Model T was an achievable dream for the average American, and because of this Ford would become the largest car maker in America. The Ford Model T had a four-cylinder engine and could reach a maximum speed of 45 mph.

Where’s the Gas Station? Cars changed America’s economy. People needed places to buy gasoline to run their cars. They needed rubber tires when they got flat. Paved roads and highways were needed to handle all the new vehicles. Just as the railroads had transformed our nation in the 1860’s, the automobile completely changed the way we lived. America’s great love affair with the car had begun!

How Affordable Automobiles Changed Our Lives Getting from place to place without being dependent on train schedules made life easier for car owners. Greater Mobility

How Affordable Automobiles Changed Our Lives The car made it possible to move out of overcrowded cities and into new housing developments. Movement to Suburban Areas

How Affordable Automobiles Changed Our Lives Building and selling cars, selling gasoline, making tires, and repairing cars were some of the new automobile based industries. New Jobs

How Affordable Automobiles Changed Our Lives Roads and highways had to be built for all the new cars Americans were buying. The steel and oil industries grew by supplying the materials and gasoline needed to made to keep the cars running. Growth of Transportation Related Industries

The Wright Brothers: Taking Flight For centuries people had looked to the sky and wondered what it might feel like to fly like a bird. Many tried, however most of them died in the process. Wilbur and Orville Wright

Two Brothers: Siblings With No Rivalry When Orville and Wilbur Wright’s dad bought them a toy shaped helicopter they played with it so much that they broke it. They quickly built a new one, it was this little toy that sparked a lifelong interest in flight Orville Wright Wilbur Wright

The Path to the Skies In 1899 the brothers began their first experiments with flight. They traveled to a place called Kill Devil Hills, in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. They chose the Outer Banks because of the steady breezes that come off the Atlantic Ocean, and the lots of soft, sandy places where they could “safely crash. ” The Wright Brothers National Memorial – Kill Devil Hills, NC

Three Amazing Seconds On December 17, 1903, a day that would go down in aviation history, it was Orville’s turn to pilot first. He remained aloft for only a few seconds but it was the first time a man had flown. He describes his famous flight below… “That flight only lasted 12 seconds but it was nevertheless the first time in the history of the world in which a machine carrying a man had raised itself by its own power into the air in full flight, had sailed forward without reduction of speed, and had finally landed. ” 1903 Success!

How Did Flying Change Life? By 1905 the Wright Brothers had designed an airplane that could dependably for long periods of time. By 1912 an airplane could travel more than 100 miles per hour in any direction. Air travel was a major milestone in history. Skilled pilots fought in air battles called “dogfights” during World War I.

Turn on the Radio! By the 1800’s, individuals had figured out it was possible to use electromagnetic waves to carry sounds, and radio was possible. sound wave

Radio Unites the Nation The invention of the radio changed the way people lived. News could spread instantly, urgent messages could be sent over great distances, even to rural areas. But best of all, beautiful music, wonderful comedies, and nail-biting adventures could be shared by millions of people. Early radios were huge and bulky and took a long time to warm up.

Communication Changes By the 1920’s radio broadcasts were beginning to fill the airwaves, and “motion pictures” were delighting audiences everywhere. Americans loved the movies and soon a vast motion picture industry grew. The first movies had no sound. Along with the first movies came the first movie stars. Charlie Chaplin was one of the greatest.

Modern Times (1936) Starring: Charlie Chaplin Eating Machine Clip 4 min 15 sec Modern Times was Charlie Chaplin’s last “silent” film, talkies, films in which actors spoke had begun to rule the box office by the 1930’s. In this film Chaplin stars as an assembly-line worker driven insane by the monotony of his job.

Steamboat Willie (1928) 8 min Steamboat Willie was the first Mickey Mouse cartoon ever produced, and features Minnie Mouse as well.

Words to Know Electrification (Uh-lek-trif-uh-kay-shun): Bringing electricity to homes and businesses. Electrical wires going up in rural California, 1938.

A Profound Change in Life Electrification totally changed American life. So much of what we take for granted – cold milk in the fridge, clean clothes in the washing machine – would not have been possible without clever electrical devices that inventors began to dream up. An electric washing machine

The Labor Savers The arrival of electricity brought Americans all sorts of labor saving devices such as washing machines, electric stoves, and water pumps so homes could now have indoor running water. Even though food still had to be cooked and laundry washed, these labor saving devices freed up hours a week leaving more time to talk with friends or go to the movies! An electric stovetop

Improved Communications and Technologies While new electric appliances made life easier, the increased availability of the telephone made it easier to stay in touch with friends and family. New types of entertainment, such as movies and the radio, made life more fun, while cars and airplanes made travel quicker. The early 1900’s were a time period of tremendous change all across America. With the radio Americans could listen to sports, music, weather reports, news, stories and shows, speeches, and advertisements with the press of a button.