Notes on 1920's America

            
            
            
             Ford did not originate the ideas of mass production .
             Early in the century, only city dwellers could afford cars.
             c. Ransom Olds had introduced a less expensive car, the Oldsmobile in 1901.
             d. Ford hired scientific management experts to involve his mass-production techniques.
             e. The assembly line allowed Ford to keep dropping the sale price.
             f. When it came to managing the men who worked along his assembly lines, Ford also proved that he was not afraid of innovation.
             2. The Automobile Changes in America .
             a. The boom in the automotive industry simulated growth in other industries related to car manufacture or use.
             b. Road construction boomed, especially when the federal government introduced the system of numbered highways in 1926.
             c. The automotive caused additional economic effects. .
             d. The automobile prompted a new sense of freedom and prosperity.
             B. A Bustling Economy .
             1. Advertising and Credit Build a Consumer Culture.
             a. The growing advertising industry also played its part.
             b. Advertisers celebrated consumptions as an end in itself, convincing people that they could be the person they wanted just by buying the right products.
             c. Finally, new ways of buying fueled the consumer revolution.
             2. The Big Bull Market Makes Fortunes .
             a. Consumers were not the only Americans buying and selling in a big way.
             b. The pounding desire to strike it rich often led investors to ignore financial risks.
             c. In truth, the big bull market stood on very shaky ground.
             C. Cities, Suburbs, and Country.
             1. People Flock to Cities .
             a. In the 1920's, the movement of people was toward cities.
             b. As in the late nineteenth century, cities grew and changed shape. .
             2. The Suburbs Grow.
             a. Improved mass transportation and the widespread use of automobiles caused cities to expand outward.
             b. Slowly at first, but more rapidly as the century progressed, suburbs drained people and resources from the cities.
             3. Many Americans Face Hardship.
             a. In the cities and suburbs, Americans enjoyed prosperity and the fruits of growth.