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Ford Model T: the Idea That Started a Revolution

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Ford Model T: the Idea That Started a Revolution
Ford Model T: The Idea That Started a Revolution

Nathan McCourt
Mr. Todd Willems
20th Century History
19 December 2011

Table of Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3
The “Assembly Line”………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4
Keeping the Relationship……………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
The Ethos of Mass Production………………………………………………………………………………………………..8
Industries Built off an Industry………………………………………………………………………………………………11
Transforming America Yesterday and Today…………………………………………………………………………13
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….15
Works Cited…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17

Nathan McCourt
Mr. Willems
20th Century History
19 December 2011
Introduction
The time is the 1910s: people are moving about, working day and night for the next big thing. Places to be, people to meet, new things to experience-this is the new era of America. A time where big ideas become a reality, where America is beginning to be recognized as world leader, these are the times of invention, excitement, and limitless possibilities. Americans of this time are always willing to spend money for entertainment, and more importantly they are willing to spend money on anything that could possibly make life easier. America was beginning to enter the Industrial Revolution, and the way America produced goods would never be the same. Leading the Industrial Revolution is a young man from Dearborn, Michigan who dreams of producing a machine that has the ability to move people from place to place faster than ever. This young man’s name is Henry Ford, and his ideas will transform the way America produces goods, and the way Americans get around from place to place. Henry Ford, known as the father of the automobile, is working to invent his most popular machine known as the Ford Model T- the first common man’s automobile. In order to make his dream a reality Ford needed a way to produce Model Ts quickly and



Cited: America: The Story of Us. Prod. Nutopia. Perf. Liev Schreiber. History Channel, 2010. DVD. Ament, Phil. "Inventor Henry Ford Biography." The Great Idea Finder - Celebrating the Spirit of Innovation. 21 May 2007. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/ford.htm>. Bonner, Patricia. "Henry Ford and the Model T: A Case Study in Productivity (Part 1) | EconEdLink." Economic Lesson Plans, Personal Finance Lesson Plans and Resources for Educators, Students and Afterschool Providers | EconEdLink. Econedlink, 05 Jan. 2007. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lid=668>. Ford, Henry. My Life and Work. 1st ed. Las Vegas: IAP Pub., 2010. Print. Georgano, G. N. Cars, 1886-1930. New York, NY: Crescent, 1990. America on the Move. General Motors Corporation. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove>. Glass, Brent. "America on the Move | Transportation History." National Museum of American History. General Motors Corporation. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/themes/story_48_1.html>. Hounshell, David A. "The Ford Motor Company and the Rise of Mass Production in America." The American System to Mass Production 1800-1932. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1984. 322-32. Print. Sandler, Martin W. Driving around the USA: Automobiles in American Life. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2003. Print. Useem, Jerry. "Ford Offers $5 a Day." Fortune 27 June 2005: 65. Web. 8 Dec. 2011.

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