Technical Advances & The Motor Industry of the 1920s Flashcards by cammy mccready

What was the largest industry in the USA?

Motor Vehicle Industry

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How many were employed in the motor industry in Detroit?

0.5million

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What did the motor industry make Detroit?

USA’s 4th largest city

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What was taylorism?

the theory of time and motion

production techniques allocated times for completion

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When was the Ford Model T introduced?

1908

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When was the mass moving-line production introduced?

1913

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What was the price of a Model T in 1918?

Price of Model T in 1925?

$950

$290

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How many cars were being produced annually by 1920?

What was the peak year? How many cars were produced then? When was this not beaten until?

1.25million

Peak year was 1929 - 4.5million produced
Not matched until 1949

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Name the big 3 motor industry firms

What % of the automobile industry did they control?

Ford, General Electric, Chrysler

70%

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What was a fundamental flaw with the motor industry?

supply exceeded demand

demand had to be actively encouraged (e.g via good credit schemes and advertising)

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What action did Ford take in 1927?

How many became unemployed? What did this contribute to?

closed factory to retool for Model A vehicle

60,000 unemployed
mini recession of 1927

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In 1929 what % of total workers did the motor industry employ?

What % of wages was this?

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What actions did Ford take to look after his workers?

minimum wage of $5 daily
factories w/ excellent safety + nutrition
1,200calories daily
shift system (only 8hr day)

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What relationship did Ford have w unions?

Did not accept unions until forced to by the court

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What did the rise of the motor industry lead governments to go against their laissez faire policy and do?

How many miles of road built annually?

introduce Federal Highway Act of 1921

10,000miles annually

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What was the rise in truck registrations 1919-29? Partially causing decline in rail freight…

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Changing landscape due to rise of motor industry and popularity of cars included…

new service industry growth

e.g garages, motels, wayside restaurants

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What form of urbanisation was a product of the motor industry growth?

suburbanisation

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Why was there a growth of suburbanisation (X2 reasons)?

no longer need to live near to railroads / employment due to motor industry
availability of easy credit

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What did the motor industry allow working and middle classes to do?

escape from cities for breaks

travel for leisure

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What did suburbanisation stimulate?

profit to construction industry

material consumption to fill new homes

Grow of electrical goods 1912 - 1929

1912: 2.4million electrical goods sold
1929: 160million electric goods sold

% of households w electricity in 1920

% of households w/ electricity in 1929

35%

70%

% of rural farms w electricity in 1922

When was rural electricity not largely addressed until?

1935 : Rural Electrification Act

Where was industry concentrated in the USA?

North East / Mid West

Why did textile factories of New England not be able to compete?

had higher wages than those in south

Average wage for farmers in South Carolina

$129

Average wage for non-agricultural workers

$412

When was bakelite plastic first produced?

1907

What type of plastic was introduced in 1907

bakelite

Why was the introduction of glass tubing important for mass production

used in al manufacturing industries for transport of goods from one area to another - saves time

When did Ford introduce the first conveyor belt into one of his factories? Which factory was this?

1913 | Highland Park factory, Michigan

What technology allowed for cheaper, more efficient, faster construction?

concrete mixers

X3 factors which all made the cost of goods cheaper - thus helping facilitate the boom;

- cheaper materials - more efficient production techniques - cheap fuel

When was the Ford Motor Company founded? How many workers did it have in its infancy?

1903 125 workers

What was the nickname for the Model T?

"tin lizzie"

Cost of a model T in 1908

$1200

When did Ford construct the largest factory in America at the time and where?

Dearborn, Michigan 1928

How many did Ford's Dearborn factory employ?

80,000

What problem did Ford face with his workforce due to taylorism?

monotonous, unhappy, long hour

How did Ford combat the discontent of his workforce?

reduced hours to 8hrs daily (average 10hrs in US)

What was the production time required to make 1 car in 1913? 1920? 1929?

1913 : 1 car every 3 minutes 1920 : 1 every 20seconds 1929 : 1 every 10 seconds

What was the peak year for the most number of cars produced? When was this not passed until?

1929 = peak year of 4.5million cars Not passed until 1949

Advent of what process boosted the American Chemical agency? What did this allow for the production of?

Weizmann Fermentation Process production of biofuels

Number of automobile companies in the market; 1920: 1930:

1920 - 110 | 1930 - 44

How many acres of agriculture were lost in the 1920s? What happened to production? What type of tech enabled this?

13million acres of agricultural production lost Nevertheless production increased 9% tractors / better fertilisers /

What increase in productivity was seen per worker?

43% increase

What was the increase in corporate profits? What was the increase in average real wages?

corporate profit increase : 65% real wage increase : 14%

What did WWI do in relation to US industry?

catalysed the dominance of US industry

What did industry do in terms of its role in perpetuating the cycle of prosperity?

Tech production and industry provided output - | but without MARKET for the output a boom would not have been generated

What % of rubber did the motor industry consume What % of oil? Name other products and services the motor industry catalysed

80% rubber 90% of oil catalysed gravel / steel / tourism / service industry

How many holding companies propped up 90% of the electricity industry in the USA? How many corporations held 20% of the wealth? What % of wealth were they responsible for generating?

X16 controlled 90% of electricity 200 corporations held 20% of wealth and generated 40% of all wealth