The Impact of the Automobile on the United States The automobile has had a profound impact on the United States. It brought us highways, asphalt bridges, motels, vacations, suburbs and the economic growth that accompanied them. Today, the auto industry and nearly one million related industries employ approximately twenty percent of all American workers. The United States produces more automobiles than all other nations combined. This product has become a symbol of the American lifestyle. The United States is sometimes called “a nation on wheels.” Considering these facts, one must wonder what the United States was like before the revolutionary innovation of the automobile. The first automobile was invented by a French artillery officer, Nicholas Joseph Cugnot. His self-propelled vehicle was powered by steam. Other steam-powered automobile designs were created by several innovators, but these designs were eventually made obsolete by the internal combustion automobile invented by Jean Joseph Etienne Lenior. This technology reached the United States when Charles and Frank Duryea built the first successful American gasoline-powered automobile. Ransom Eli Olds had the first automobile assembly line and began mass production. Subsequently, Henry Ford's Model T dominated the automotive industry and remained the most popular automobile for nearly twenty years. In the early days of the automobile, there was no real automotive industry. In the early years of automobile production, only a few hundred cars were produced. They were very rarely seen and only the rich could afford them. The car was such an unusual sight that it was sometimes used in circuses. Eventually, the car's popularity began to increase. During the 1920s, the American economy was growing and one of the main reasons was the automobile. Assembly lines were becoming more efficient, thus allowing cars to be produced at lower costs and allowing car prices to fall. From 1909 to 1925, the price of a Model T Ford dropped from $950 to $290. This allowed more people to be able to afford it. Millions were sold. The automobile, once a rare luxury, was becoming an integral part of American life. It had a ripple effect on US industries. With the rise of automobiles, there has been an increase in related products. Large quantities of glass, rubber, and steel were needed for… half the paper… involved in the safety of Americans. Many government actions, such as mandating seat belts and establishing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have made automobiles safer for the general public. The automobile has had many different effects on the United States, both positive and negative. It will continue to shape our culture, our commerce and our environment in the future. Works Cited1Thomas DiBacco, Lorna Mason, Christian Appy, History of the United States, vol. 2(Evanston: McDougal Littell Inc.), p. 324.2John Rae, The American Automobile Industry, (Boston: GK Hall & Company), p.89-92.3John Rae, The American Automobile Industry, (Boston: GK Hall & Company), p.96.4John Rae, The American Automobile Industry, (Boston: GK Hall & Company), p.188.5John Rae, The American Automobile Industry, (Boston: GK Hall & Company), p.89-90.6American Lung Association of California, , April 13, 2001.7National Center for the prevention and control of accidents, , 14 April 2001.