1. Business of America
Objective: Analyze the growth of cities, production, and credit
Production – Red
City – Blue Credit - Green

2. APK

3. Importance
Mass production techniques were used most successfully in the early 1900s in
1. the automobile industry.
2. the steel industry.
3. appliance manufacturing.
4. the mining industry.

4. Business of America
“The chief business of American people is business…”
Calvin Coolidge kept taxes down and business profits up
Minimize government interference

5. Automobile
Henry Ford with the use of the assembly line mass produced cars
Created new jobs: gas stations, road construction, house building (garages), car maintence
Allowed people to travel more than the typical 25 miles in their life time

6. One of the innovations of the 1920s was the assembly line
One of the innovations of the 1920s was the assembly line. Instead of workers moving all over the place to build something, the assembly line brought the project to the worker. Oftentimes the employee stood in the same place all day, and performed the same task, such as putting tires on a car. This dramatically sped up production of consumer goods.
The number of cars in America went from 2,000,000 to 4,500,000 in 1929.

7. Effects of the explosion of the automobiles:
Route 66 stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles. For the first time you could drive across the country.
Millions of miles of new roads
Thousands of new businesses; restaurants, gas stations, motels, campgrounds, etc.
A new independence for young men and women, including “necking” and the emergence of dating
“Urban sprawl” or people living further from the center of the city

8. Route 66

9. Urban vs Rural
Rural – slower, farmers, shrinking, segregated living space, strict morals
City – faster, growing, integrated living space, laid back morals

10. Fundamentalism & Scopes
Fundamentalism – bible is word for word truth
Against theory of evolution
Scopes trial
Most followed trial
Found guilty
Showed culture clash in America

11. Effect on cities Urban Sprawl Suburbs
1920s 80% of all automobile resided in the US
Status symbol for all
“I’ll go with out food before I’ll see us give up the car”

12. Standard of Living Average income rose from $522 a month to $705
Around 35% increase
Spend extra income
Increased Standard of living didn’t effect farmers as much as cities.

13. Grab me something cold
Electricity allowed people in the middle of nowhere to have appliances and light
Refrigerators, cooking ranges, toasters, vacuum cleaner etc.
Allowed people free time to do whatever they want
Especially women working outside of house

14. Advertising New goods caused an advertising boom
Psychologists were hired to explain how to make goods appeal to Americans
Say it with flowers
“Necessities” arose

15. Superficial Prosperity
Belief that Prosperity would last forever
Produced 50% by end of the decade
Stores expanded along with banks
Companies merged
Income gaps increased
Farmers produced more using new technology

16. Credit? “Dollar down and a dollar forever” Installment plan
Low interest rate
Focused on present despite paying into the future

17. How do Americans now purchase their goods even if they do not have the cash to pay for it at the time?

18. The “Installment Plan” came about during this time
The “Installment Plan” came about during this time. It’s kind of like an early credit card. “A dollar down and a dollar forever.”
Banks provided loans at low interest rates while advertisers pushed the idea with slogans such as, “You furnish the girl, we’ll furnish the home,” or “enjoy while you pay.”

19. The following story illustrates how the installment plan worked:
Have you an automobile yet?
No, I talked it over with John and he felt we could not afford one.
Mr. Budge who lives in your town has one and they are not as well off as you .
I know. Their seconds installment came due and they had no money to pay for it.
What did they do? Lose the car?
No, they got the money and paid for it.
How did they get the money?
They sold the cook-stove.
How could they cook?
They bought another one on the installment plan.

21. Importance
Mass production techniques were used most successfully in the early 1900s in
1. the automobile industry.
2. the steel industry.
3. appliance manufacturing.
4. the mining industry.

22. Closure
The phenomena known as “urban sprawl” can be directly linked the _____ industry.
1. automobile
2. airplane
3. advertising
4. farming

23. Closure
The mass production of cars in the early 20th century exclusively influenced which aspect of American culture?
1. The growth of new fads.
2. The growth of the advertising.
3. The growth of chain stores.
4. The growth of radio.

24. Closure
Which of the following is not considered a direct result of the growing popularity and availability of the automobile?
1. Changes in American landscape.
2. Changes in American politics.
3. Changes in the growth pattern in cities.
4. Changes in the advertising industry.

25. Closure
Cities in the 1920s expanded with the development of all of the following except
1. subways.
2. skyscrapers.
3. airplanes.
4. bridges.