1. The Industrial Boom and Mass Production
In the early 20th century, the United States experienced a transformative industrial boom, largely driven by Henry Ford’s introduction of the moving assembly line in 1913. This innovation revolutionized manufacturing by reducing the time to produce a Model T from over 12 hours to just 93 minutes, significantly lowering production costs. Consequently, the price of the Model T dropped from $850 in 1908 to approximately $300 by 1925, making automobiles accessible to a broader segment of the American population. Ford’s assembly line not only increased production efficiency but also set a precedent for mass production techniques across various industries, contributing to the rise of consumer culture and the expansion of the middle class in the United States (americanautomakers.org).
