Heimler's History: The 1920s Innovations in Technology

Introduction

• Focus on innovations in technology during the 1920s.
• Objective: Explain causes and effects of innovations in communication and technology in the U.S.

Henry Ford and the Assembly Line

• Henry Ford:

  • Mass production of automobiles, notably the Model T.
  • Introduced the assembly line in 1913.
  • Cars moved on conveyor belt; workers performed repetitive tasks.
  • Resulted in lower car prices and replaced skilled workers with unskilled labor.

• Frederick Taylor's Scientific Management:

  • Timed factory tasks to improve efficiency.
  • Influential in developing assembly line productivity.

• Impact:

  • Insatiable demand for affordable automobiles.
  • By end of decade, Americans owned 80% of world automobiles.
  • Facilitated suburban growth as individual mobility increased.

Mass Production of Consumer Goods

• Techniques used for cars expanded to other goods:

  • Toasters, radios, beauty products, appliances.
  • Rise in American standard of living.

• Advertising Industry:

  • Influenced by Sigmund Freud’s psychology.
  • Targeted subconscious motivations of consumers.

Rise of Popular Culture

• Communication Technologies:
  • Radio:
    • From nearly non-existent to common in homes by decade's end.
    • Broadcast news and entertainment programs (e.g., Amos n’ Andy Show).
  • Cinema:
    • Widespread attendance; 75% of Americans weekly by late 1920s.
    • "The Jazz Singer": First movie with synchronized sound, ended silent film era.

Cultural Effects

• Homogenization vs. Distinction:

  • National culture spread through media.
  • Emphasized cultural differences in race, ethnicity, and region.

• Black Experience:

  • Limited representation in media.
  • Led to cultural movements like the Harlem Renaissance.

• Rural vs. Urban:

  • Films highlighted distinctions in lifestyle.

Conclusion

• Media spread emphasized distinct cultural identities.
• Upcoming topics: Changes in American culture and the Harlem Renaissance.

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