No period in human history contributed more to how the average person moved from one place to another than the 1920s. Americans conquered the roads, rail lines, oceans, and soared to new heights. Some concepts would stumble upon failure, while others would reach for the sky, establishing the very foundation of the transportation systems we rely on today. The era would ultimately revolutionize not only the industry, but transform humankind and the way we live forever.
Rise of the Automobile
While other forms of transportation would affect many American lives, nothing comes close to the drastic influence of the automobile. With World War I come and gone, the generation of the 1920s was a time of peace and celebration. The rise in a culture of consumerism meant that Americans began to work fewer hours, earn higher salaries, and invest in themselves. With the demands of everyday life continuing to bear down on the population, the need for a better and convenient form of transportation became evident. The first production of automobiles was by Karl Benz in 1888 in Germany. By the turn of the century, mass production of automobiles had begun in the United States. Still, the difficulty to obtain fuel, frequent breakdowns, and high prices limited sales. The year 1905 later proved to become a turning point, when the majority of automobile sales shifted from hobbyists and enthusiasts to the average user. It wasn’t until the mid-1920s, however, that the price of automobiles steadily declined, making them affordable to the average family. It was not long until there was one automobile for every five Americans, making it theoretically possible for every person in the United States to be on the road at the same time. The automobile would later prove to make a huge impression on both the economic and social nature of American life. Economically, the automobile promoted the growth of other industries, especially petroleum, rubber, and steal. Socially, the automobile created a more mobile society, breaking down the barriers between the distinctions of urban and rural America.
Ford Model T
For Americans, it would take an affordable and reliable automobile to get them places, and the Ford Model T proved to be the answer. By the 1920s, the price of the Model T fell to $300, as Henry Ford increased the efficiency of his assembly lines, according to hfmgv.org. Better design, and technology fueled the success of the Model T. It also helped the Ford Motor Company, allowing Henry Ford to expand around the world. In 1925, Ford owned successful dealerships on six continents and grew to plants in Australia, India, and France. That same year, sales of the Model T peaked, with millions sold across America. Its popularity transformed a nation, as the majority of Americans first learned to drive on Ford’s automobile. However, with the growth of competition, sales declined and production of the Ford Model T ended in 1927. With a historic 15 million sold in total, the Model T proved to be the automobile that “put America on wheels.”
Route 66
The rapid growth of automobiles in the 1920s meant the birth of a new culture. Hungry for road trips that took them across the country, Route U.S. 66 helped shape the growth of national highways. According to national66.org, the Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926, and was officially signed the following year. By the mid-1920s, the highway covered more than 2,000 miles, making it popular for road enthusiasts and goods shipment. As one of the original U.S. highways, Route 66’s influenced the culture of America in many ways. John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath, referred to the highway as “The Mother Road.” Its connection with the average American was deep, making Route 66 “The Main Street of America” in its time.
Birth of the Airline Industry
While most Americans relied on transportation that stayed on ground, others soared to the air. In the commercial aviation industry, the 1920s is known as the period of the pioneering years. The airline industry was born, as small startup companies began offering flights to the public across America. The first international passenger flight took place in 1920, with plane traveling from Key West, Florida, to Havana, Cuba. The 1920s also marked the first time the Post Office used airmail delivery. By 1925, U.S. Post Office plans were delivering 14 million letters and packages a year. The Post Office later awarded air route contracts to companies, creating today’s airline transportation giants.
The Zeppelin
A more unconventional approach to passenger aviation took to the skies in the 1920s as well. The zeppelin was a bizarre, but employed form of transportation for the period. Unlike today’s blimps, zeppelins utilized dirigibles as the rigid structure of the body. First pioneered by German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century, civilian zeppelins experienced a renaissance in the 1920s. After World War I, many zeppelins headed to America for civilian use. The airships made long-range flights from American cities like Los Angeles and New York to Europe and Asia.
Today
The transportation of the 1920s has dramatically influenced what we use today. The rise of the automobile has shaped the way the world travels. In America, it connected the nation with highways and the power to travel easily and freely. The automobile to this day affect industries economically. Breaking down the social barriers of America, it has more importantly united people together. In the air, the airline industry that so many rely on today was established in the 1920s. Linking the world together, the aviation industry of the 1920s is still hard at work today, allowing people of the world to travel about anywhere on the face of the Earth.
The 1920s opened new worlds for the transportation of people. The influence of the era has changed the face of the world forever, establishing what we see and use today. From the automobile, to the airplane, today’s civilian transportation is mostly derived from the era. Shaping the world of today and tomorrow, the transportation of the 1920s goes down in history as one of the most influential times to how the average person travels.
