The Impact of the Automobile on the United States Essay

The Impact of the Automobile on the United States The automobile has had a profound impact on the United States. It has brought us superhighways, paved bridges, motels, vacations, suburbia, and the economic growth which accompanied them. Today, the automotive industry and nearly one million related industries employ about twenty percent of all American workers. The US produces more automobiles than every other nation combined. This product has become a symbol of the American way of life. The US is sometimes referred to as â€Å"a nation on wheels.† Considering these facts, one must wonder what the United States was like before the revolutionary innovation of the automobile. The first automobile was invented by a French†¦show more content†¦Industries which made these products flourished. Also, the construction industry experienced a boom and new techniques of construction were invented. Roads and highways were built to accommodate the increasing traffic. Suburbs grew rapidly. Gas stations, motels, restaurants and other places were built to provide for those traveling by automobile.1 Big business also greatly benefited from the automobile’s ability to make some business techniques simpler. Corporations could now transport products further and faster for less money than before. This, in turn, allowed for wider market areas in commerce, selling more products to more people and generating a greater revenue. Globalization of products (assembling products from parts made worldwide) was also made easier. The automobile helped the United States get out of The Great Depression and win the war. Two months after the US entered World War II, the last passenger car was made. The automobile industry was converted to wartime manufacture. The Office of Production Management (OPM) was now given the power to enforce its decisions on the war production of vehicles. The OPM, along with the War Production Board and The Automotive Council for War Production, supervised the conversion of peacetime automotive production to that of wartime. Chrysler Corporation mass-produced tanks. Many car companies made over two and a half million trucks for the military. General Motors produced nearlyShow MoreRelatedU.S. Automobile Manufacturing in the Twenty-First Century1540 Words   |  7 PagesThe innovation of the automobiles had a significant social and economic impact on the United States. In the early 1900s, Henry Ford was well known for establishing the Ford Motor Company and five years after he launched his company, he introduced the first Model T (History.com, 2013). During this time, automobiles were considered luxuries, and 10,000 Model T automobiles were sold that year (History.com, 2013). In the 21st Century, automobiles are no longer luxuries but necessities. 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