How Did Henry Ford Change America

The 1920s is an era full of changes in America, whether it be social or technological. This time period is also the time in which the automobile industry grew immensely, changing the lives of many citizens. Henry Ford’s impact on the world of transportation made it easy for every American family to be able to afford and own a car, causing the changes in daily lives to come rapidly. Ford’s making of his Model T car greatly changed America in terms of pollution, gas use, roads, industry modifications, and amounts of accidents. Although there were already automobiles available, the ones who owned them were the wealthy, due to their high expenses. Henry Ford was the first person to make owning a car highly possible with his creation of Model T . Although this car was made in 1908, the sales did not flourish until 1920, during the economic boom, an era also known as, “the Roaring 20s.” Within this time, people of all classes gained money, making it possible to purchase many items, such as cars. The reason that cars were high in expense was due to the time it took to produce a single

The invention of a lead additive for gasoline was part of the great industrial growth in car manufacturing. Scientists found that in the early 1920s a lead compound, tetraethyl lead, was added to gasoline; this fuel was to be marketed by Standard Oil under the name Ethyl. Eventually, in 1924, as tests were being conducted on the substance at a Standard Oil facility in New Jersey, several workers died from a form of lead poisoning in which they became delirious and violent. Newspapers soon reported that other workers had died similar deaths at a DuPont Company plant, and that the company had tried their best to prevent the knowledge of the fatalities from spreading. This caused for many gasoline plants to shut down and a new formula for the fuel to be