Essay: The introduction of automobiles in the United States

A still time came upon the United States in the early twentieth century; it was a time of war, followed by the Great Depression. The war brought a time of consumer confidence; however there was too much confidence. Black Tuesday was just the beginning of an economic downturn. Soon after the worst economic downfall in history, during the mid-twentieth century, America was about peace, prosperity, and restoration. The introduction of automobiles in the United States led to mass consumerism and built many of today’s retail, leisure, and entertainment structures and culture.
In the early twentieth century, from 1914-1918, the world had gone into battle. During World War I, the goods were produced as need, no shortage or surplus (Beder, Sharon). After World War I, there was an increased motivation for expanding the economy and promoting consumerism.  Technological advancements promoted consumerism and allowed people to buy automobiles, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, and more (The Affluent Society). All of these new items and products transformed daily life; life was easier and people had more time for leisure activities. One of the most favored advancements of the time was the automobile. Henry Ford introduced the first automobile, Model T, in 1908. Because of Ford’s assembly line, a new production technique, there were twenty million Model T’s sold by 1930 (Automobile). People who did not have enough money were still able to purchase a Model T, through the use of the credit system. After some time, citizens did not recognize signs such as overproduction, under-consumption, inequitable income distribution, lack of bank, credit, and stock regulation, and wild speculation. Under those circumstances, the stock market crashed on October 29th, 1929, known as Black Tuesday, and marked the beginning of The Great Depression, changing the American economy forever. 12-15 million Americans were unemployed during this Depression, driving overall consumption down and saving up (American Experience). Ten years later, the United States economy finally began to see the reversal of the American economy with the emergence of the second World War. World War II helped restore the economy; rate of unemployment dropped and wages rose. With increased wages, consumerism and spending power took a leap upwards. Families were so eager to spend their money; 21.4 million cars were bought from 1945 to 1949 (American Experience).
Amidst the postwar economy, the modernization of the roads and highways helped shape much of the United States’ landscapes. Prior to the World War I, there was a push, funded by private lenders, to build a coast-to-coast highway. In 1913, named highways started to come into play; the Lincoln Highway became the first coast-to-coast expressway and it stretched from New York to San Francisco (The Lincoln Highway Experience). Moreover, the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, proposed by Dwight D. Eisenhower, was finally passed through congress. This project would cover 41,000 miles with roads. The goal for this highway act was to eliminate the growing traffic problem and make it easier to travel from city to city (History.com). After World War II, the idea of family was getting popular — people started moving from urban areas to more rural and suburban areas. Suburbia drove the demand for the automobile industry; in 1948, fifty-four percent of Americans owned cars. Eleven years later, in 1959, the percentage rose to seventy four (The American Yawp).
As the roads and highways grew, the businesses grew as well. The new sense of consumerism led to the increase in gas stations. Gas stations were scattered by the plentiful all over highways and some old school gas stations are still preserved. The ever-expanding economy led to highways and roads littered with outdoor advertisements, such as billboards. Mass consumerism led to many of the consumer landscapes we see today, “the rise of mega-corporations, and the re-scaling of designed environments for everything from shopping to leisure activity, vacationing, and commerce” (Conzen). Automobiles and mass consumerism shaped much of the retail infrastructure that are still present today. In the city, automobiles shaped the traditional downtown retail architecture. We also saw a rise in smaller malls for the urban core. With the move to more suburban areas, America saw an upsurge in shopping malls; suburbs were littered with strip malls and soon enough the mega-mall arrived. As these structures grew, traditional department stores and retails stores emerged, and many of of them are still available in present day. Retail was not the only thing that flourished; people had more time for leisure and entertainment. The extra time led to the emergence of theaters, and sporting events became more popular. In 1971, Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida. Disney World became a very popular tourist attraction for both kids and adults (Conzen).
These ideas of the postmodern revitalization of America’s landscapes connect back to the idea of Main Streets. Many businesses reside within or around Main Street and the new urbanization grew Main Street. Many of the leisure and entertainment factors in the city could be tied to Main Street. Much of the lectures and presentations given before Thanksgiving led to the rise of the automobile and the rise of mass consumerism. Before the World War I, we were taught about the growing metropolitan area. The growth of the city had begun and the city was starting to build skyscrapers for offices and we saw the emergence of department stores. This can be tied into the postwar consumerism where many department stores were booming, as were the new retail shops that came about. Jobs before World War I were in abundance but wages were not as high. After World War II, full employment was pretty much achieved and wages grew with the economy. In the urban-social lecture, we noticed people did also made time for leisure; an example of this would be Broadway theaters and activities such as ice skating in New York. In Philadelphia, Market Street became the center of many of the department and retail centers. In present day, Market Street is loaded with stores, theaters, parking garages, and even a full scale mall. Many of the ideas and areas that we studied before Thanksgiving break tie back into the development of the postwar automobile and mass consumerism idea.
Automobiles were the backbone of the American economy and helped shape the culture that is still present in modern day. With the addition of a booming postwar economy, mass consumerism changed the way people acted, the way people spent their time, and the way people spent their money. Automobiles and mass consumerism shaped American retail, leisure, and entertainment landscapes.