The Assembly Line: Shaping 20th Century America

The negative effects of the assembly line were minimal but apparent. All though the workers were paid well for their labor, they worked long days and the line was break breaking labor. Many factories required the workers to work for hours without stop and many tired out quickly. Many workers faded mentally on the assembly line because the workplace allowed for no individuality or change. It was the same schedule everyday with little to no difference in what tasks the workers performed. The hard work required in the factories also sidelined many workers who either got hurt by machines or just developed injuries that were life lasting. Mental and health effects on the laborers were not taken into consideration by the companies’ executives and it would later be responsible for many of the workers revolutions and the start of unions. Further into the 20th century the workers did get very generous benefits and many lived very good middle class lives. Another impact on the workers which happened later on was that new machines and technology started to replace many workers.  But although many workers suffered the assembly line did setup what American industry looked like till this day.

The Ford Motor Company provided the blueprints to efficient American industry and naturally changed the face of the nation up to the present time. It changed the face of the American worker and how people lived especially in the mid west. The impact generated from an idea and a car built in the home garage of Henry Ford would renovate the American worker and the American lifestyle for good. There is no argument that American industry made America the number one country in the world and on top of all others in industry and production. Only recently America has fallen behind in production but the accomplishments have a lot to do with Henry Ford and his assembly line innovation.