Chapter 1
United States History, Government, and Citizenship
Course: Elementary Education Multiple Subjects 7001
Subject: Elementary Education Social Studies Subtest 7004
Chapter: United States History Government And Citizenship
1. Technological Innovation and Mass Production
The Assembly Line and Its Economic Impact
The assembly line became a hallmark of early 20th-century American industrialism, fundamentally altering how products were manufactured and distributed. Although earlier forms of mass production existed, Henry Ford revolutionized industrial efficiency by introducing a moving assembly line in his Highland Park, Michigan plant in 1913.
- In Ford’s model, each worker performed a specialized task as the product moved past them on a conveyor system.
- This innovation reduced the time to build a car from over 12 hours to approximately 90 minutes, significantly lowering manufacturing costs.
- By 1925, Ford was producing more than 9,000 vehicles per day, making the Model T affordable to middle-class Americans.