The Invention Of The Automobile

In the early 1900’s Henry Ford developed the idea of “a wagon that will run without a horse”.1 This idea and Ford’s success changed America and its people forever. The development of the automobile played a tremendous role in the economy, labor unions and society. Generally, when most people think of Henry Ford they reflect upon his wealth and contributions to the transportation industry as an infinitely positive phenomenon. It is thought that aside from just allowing consumers to purchase and use his inventions, he provided thousands of people with jobs and the promise of prosperity. The tale of Henry Ford’s legendary business and remarkably effective assembly line is unparalleled in

Henry Ford spent his childhood growing up on a farm located outside of Detroit, his father wanted him to grow up and become a farmer however Ford had other ideas and whilst he was at the far he studied engineering and by 17 he had left the farm and went to Detroit to study engineering. Ford eventually invented the Model T, a car which was cheap so it enabled people who weren’t normally allowed the luxury to drive to be able to have their own car and take their families out in them; however he caused farmers to lose money and was cruel to his workers.

In the beginning of the 1900s cars were only for the wealthy because of their high price point. This made it inaccessible for the common working class of America. Ford grew up in a farming family where the average person could not afford such a costly luxury item (“Model T: The” 1). The high price point of these automobiles was in part because each and every single car had to be made one at a time (“The First” 2). Due to this, Ford decided that he would start his own automobile company, making cars more affordable to the average middle class citizen.

Ever since the early invention of the automobile from the second industrial revolution, humans have taken granted for the convenience of this technological advancement. In most developed countries and urban cities like Vancouver, owning an automobile vehicle or taking any forms of transportation has become a norm and an essential element in order to operate our every day life. It is difficult to imagine a day without a transportation tool in our modern society: as a student, we need to commute to school on a daily basis, and soon after we graduate, we will probably have to travel to our workplaces most days of the week. The demand for transportation will never decline rather than increase, as we are heavily dependent on it, not to mention the total population of human is constantly on the rise. Indeed automobile perhaps is one of the greatest and influential inventions in our times; however, we often forget the consequences and prices we have to pay for abusing such conveniences. Most of our transportation tools can only run from burning the fossil fuels as its primary energy, which is a process that emits harmful gasses that will affect all our surroundings and us directly and in-directly on any scale. In a smaller scale, car emission causes air pollution that will affect our well-being; on a larger scale, car emission is one of the main contributors that causes climate change that will affect the entire globe and all life forms on the planet. In this essay we will be

Fathers farm on July 30, 1863 in what is now Dearborn Michigan. Early on ford demonstrated some of the characteristics that would make him powerful, famous, and successful. He organized other boys to build rudimentary, water wheels and steam engines by becoming friends with the man who ran them he taught himself to fix watches, delight thus young ford demonstrated mechanical ability, a

Automobiles are arguably one of the most important inventions in the history of the world. Not only have they allowed us to get from point A to point B in a faster fashion than walking but they have also aided us in new inventions that will greatly benefit the world. Before the birth of the automobile, people had few choices of transportation that could actually get them to a specific location of their choosing. Railroads and boats were modes of transportation that were mainly used for travelling long distances, however for the shorter distances people either had to walk or arrive to their destination by way of horse or horse and carriage. These two modes of transportation were the only ways to get to exactly where you were going and not just in a general area or close to where you were going, as would trains and boats. This all changed with the invention of the automobile. The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines an automobile as, “a usually four-wheeled automotive vehicle designed for passenger transportation” an invention that would not only revolutionize transportation but also the world. The means by which people would get from one place to another would be completely altered by this single invention. Some people will say that the Ford Model T made in 1908 was the first car ever, however those who claim this are terribly mistaken. The first car ever to be built was the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, designed and created in the year 1886 by German inventor, Karl Benz.

The first Automobile boom was from 1895-1908. During this time, cars were popular and every family thought they needed to have a car. Automobiles were being produced at fast rates, gasoline companies were used most to fuel the cars. Many car companies became rich, and soon became famous because of their car models. One of the models that became famous was made by Henry Ford, the Model T. The Model T was a gasoline motorized car that broke a record of the “Fastest Automobile 1908” and was well known for it being able to drive across different terrains. It drove well over dirt roads and rocky roads because it could twist as it rolled over bumps. Whenever the Model T came to the market, many people changed from horses or trains to the Model T because it was an easier way of transportation.

“He organized other boys to build rudimentary water wheels and steam engines. He learned about full-sized steam engines by becoming friends with the men who ran them. He taught himself to fix watches, and used the watches as textbooks to learn the rudiments of machine design. Thus, young Ford demonstrated mechanical ability, a facility for leadership, and a preference for learning by trial-and-error.” (“Henry Ford)

The automobile is one of the most significant inventions, that has revolutionized the world of transportation. With this invention, humans have been able to transport almost anything, travel great fathoms, and break the sound barrier (the Thrust SSC broke it in 1997). Because of the invention of the automobile, social life and working classes increased making for more distant entertainment destinations and job opportunities. This seemingly timeless invention greatly enhanced culture by taking personal and industrial transportation to a new level while positively influencing the economy that has much outweighed the unintended, negatives of this extraordinary mode of travel and transport.

Although Ford’s industry that he built was the best and really what launched this whole craze and really kicked it off. It was not the only automotive industry that has made risks that paid off big time. As a matter of fact the blueprint for the modern automobile was perfected in Germany and France in the late 1800s, so we weren’t even the one who perfected the modern automobile.

Dan Rather once famously said that “Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn’t block traffic.:” There is a long and significant bond culturally in the United States (US) with the automobile. It has often been pictured in media as a staple of the middle class life, a sign of prosperity, and a symbol of freedom.

The automobile industry is said to have its beginnings dating to the 19th century. Gottieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, of Germany, fitted their engine into a stagecoach in 1886 (Kindersley, 2011, 10). They were both successful at creating the first four-wheeled, gas-engine vehicle. It reached a top speed of ten miles per hour. Each engine was still being fitted into stagecoaches (Kindersley, 2011, 10). The industrial revolution introduced a wide array of new ideas for the automobile. The ideas ranged from air-cooled engines, single cylinder engines, steam powered engines, electric cars, to a vehicle with a sliding gear transmission (Kindersley, 11, 2011). Other ideas included overhead cam engines, and the introduction of the gearbox.

One of the most innovative inventions of the 19th century was the invention of the automobile. It is clear that the automobile industry has changed the way people and goods travel. The industry basely existed until a man named Henry Ford made the automobile accessible to the public. He put into full motion what we now know today as the automobile industry.

There is a well known proverb that applies to many industries that goes “Necessity is the mother of all invention,” but, when it comes to the automobile industry it’s hard to say necessity was the main driving force, as opposed to, say, money. The mechanics of an automobile, and most other power-based machines, revolve around the invention of the internal combustion engine in the early 1860’s and it’s later commercialized application; at first it was more of a luxury item but soon after investors realized the massive opportunity at hand to deliver applications of this engine to the masses. In 1908, Henry Ford changed the game when he introduced his Model T to the world, the first mass produced vehicle designed for the average family’s use in everyday errands. Owning a car in the United States quickly, with the help of some corporate greed, became a necessity in and of itself in order to maintain a job and integrate oneself in society, this phenomenon did not immediately carry over into other countries but the same trends are visible in Asia and Europe, along with developing countries. These trends include the status symbol associated with owning a vehicle which is practically of equal influence to foreign countries as the United States. The power relations when dealing with automobiles in the United States is largely based on wealth and gender; since men are normally viewed as the car operators in society and some cultures actually ban women from driving, along with richer

Before we begin, let us first look at the history of the automobile to better understand the industry’s roots and its growth. Technological innovations have driven the automobile industry since the very first car was ever created. Utilizing the steam engine, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot was able to create the first vehicle capable of human transportation. Only 40 years later, Francois Isaac de Rivaz engineered an automobile that was powered by an internal combustion engine, using hydrogen as its fuel source. 80 years after Rivaz, Karl Benz invented the first gasoline powered car.