Mass production was pioneered by Henry Ford in 1913. He could not manufacture cars fast enough to keep up with demand and so he introduced the concept of an assembly line. As a result, one Model T could be produced every three minutes. Components were added as the car moved along and each worker did one specific job. By 1920, a car was produced every ten seconds and Ford realised that if cars could be produced more cheaply, more people would be able to buy them and as demand rose and the company sold more cars, he could make them even cheaper. Between 1908 and 1925, over 15 million Model T’s were made and by the mid 1920s, one out of every two cars sold was a Model T. The cost of cars fell from $1200 to £295 by 1928 which meant that even normal people could afford them.
Henry Ford’s mass-production techniques were taken up by other industries in America and the USA quickly became the most efficient producer in the world. The falling cost of each input offset the smaller profit margin because demand was stimulated. Employment prospects also improved with many people moving to live in the industrial cities and American industries saw huge profits and expanded enormously. However, mass production also meant that as the rich got richer, the poor got poorer.
Mass production changed the fabric of American society forever. Social freedom was achieved and mass production bought an immense sense of liberty to the rural areas. Making cars affordable changed the face of America and it resulted in large scale urbanisation and the development of suburbs. It encouraged the building of roads, and the growing popularity of owning your own car made it easier to move around so people did not have to be within walking distance to work. The car contributed to the industrial boom of the 1920s by stimulating growth in other industries.
Mass production definitely ‘roared’ for Henry Ford who was at the time the richest man in the world. Mass production was great for women and those living in the countryside because they could have a life outside of their home. It also ‘roared’ for industries and workers because they made higher profits and got better wages. This brought about spending power so more money could be spent on luxuries which benefited the industries which produced these goods. This meant that industries became even wealthier. The general population also benefited because thousands of ordinary Americans had cars in the 1920s while they were still considered a privilege of the rich in Europe. The enormous increase in the number of cars created a knock-on effect on other industries like steel, glass and road construction, and these industries also boomed.
However, mass production did not ‘roar’ for all workers since not everyone’s income increased and the work was boring and repetitive. Mass-produced goods have to be sold to a mass-market and if not enough people buy the goods, the system will collapse. Over-production in many industries forced prices down which eventually reduced wages, particularly in old industries like cotton and mining so mass production did not ‘roar’ for these workers. Also, mass immigration meant that there was no shortage of workers so they were paid very little. On average, workers only worked in assembly lines for three months because the work was monotonous and hard and Ford had to double wages in 1913 to $5 a day. In addition, workers were not allowed union representatives and there was a poor morale because people hated their jobs.