Society has come to see a new age of technological advancements that changed the world. The great minds of society have forged a path in this world and that path is now taken by new and inspired innovators who seek to improve and change the world. Inventions like the movies, telephone, and automobile have changed the way society does and views things. The luxury of having those inventions where only for the wealthy, who could afford them, but now in the twenty-first century you can find them at every home. E.L Doctorow incorporates the technological industrialization in Ragtime by strategically implementing them into the text. The characters use these inventions like they have had them for their whole lives. Your social status could be determined …show more content…
Telephones have revolutionized the way people communicate with each other across this earth. Motion pictures have brought a new way for society to interact and brought the opportunity for incoming immigrants to get into the film industry. These inventions paved a way for a new era in American society and drastically changed not only the life of every Americans but also the views and options of the United States to other countries of the world. The automobile took America by storm when it first took to the streets. Up until that point most traveled by railroads or other dangerous and unreliable sources of transportation. When General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler rose up to the top of the automobile industry, they changed how Americans would now get from one place to another. General Motors and Chrysler were companies who sold their products to the ones who could afford to purchase them. The wealthy during the early 1900’s could be seen driving these brands or being driven in them instead. Henry Ford did not want to follow up his competition and only sell to those who could afford. Henry Ford’s assembly line changed the game because it helped improve the production time on cars and that was a major key in the business. This not only helped …show more content…
These were the starting days where films where black and white with no sound audio for the audience to hear what the actors are saying. Films would have music play in the background to help sell the scenes. Actors were new to the game and were learning the ropes of the film industry. Up until this point in history, the theater was a place of musicals, operas, and music symphonies that attracted all classes of society to attend. The film industry had some competition that had been around a lot longer. Like anything new, people are skeptical to try it out because of that fear of change and that it might not work out for the better. Motion pictures first attracted the lower and middle class of society due to the cheap ticket prices compared to their competition. With the increase of immigration to the United States at this time, incoming immigrants needed to find work to support themselves. They found work in any place that took them, but some immigrants had a calling for the film industry. The character Tateh is an immigrant with a Jewish background who came to the states with the American dream that you can succeed in anything here. He was met with heartache and disappointment as he struggled to make a living here. He was a talented artist who used that skill for street art at first. After a string of bad fortune hits him and his daughter, he gets the opportunity to use his talent of art for profit and
This time period also saw many new inventions that would change American society forever. Such things as the telephone, radio, and television are things that the average present day American could not imagine living without. But a hundred years ago people were amazed at such things. Railroads were now able to bring people all over the country while steam ships could bring you all around the world and airplanes could let you fly. The horseless carriage turned into the automobile.
Technology played an important role in the daily lives of Americans in the 1920s. Many inventions and new developments occurred during this time. A large number of items that are used today were invented by individuals and teams in research laboratories. This technology brought many conveniences such as electrical power and indoor plumbing into the home. Radios gave people access to the news and provided entertainment. Mass culture was also born and the automobile became the largest consumer product of the decade. By 1929, one in five Americans had an automobile on the road. America experienced a decade of economic growth due to the impact of technology in the 1920s.
Canals, steamboats, and railroads allowed for faster travel of exports and the creation of bigger cities. The invention of the Pony Express, specialized regions, and infrastructure permitted Americans to keep in touch over long distances and the creation of market towns, which inspired a deep, national connection from all corners of the country. The giant leap made by the Transportation Revolution changed America greatly in ways of their economy and
The telephone largely impacted businesses by making them more efficient and reduced the cost and labor to constantly travel long distances in order to communicate. As a result, it is clear that technology transformed the United States during the Gilded Age through the
The novel Ragtime, written by E. L. Doctorow, tells the tale of the many hardships that many experienced at this time. During this time there was a vast range of technological advances that caused change in everyday life. Although all of the characters differed in race, gender, and even social class, they all dealt with their changing society in variety of ways. Some flourished and prospered in it, while others had aversion towards it. This time period was known as the “Gilded Age” where America was viewed as a lavish place where anyone could escape poverty and become successful and free. This captivating illusion obscured the truth of what the nation actually contained. It was a time of greed and corruption, of brutal industrial competition and harsh exploitation of labor.
Ford's Assembly Line Assembly Line The assembly line has changed the world as drastically as it has been changed by the world since it began. It brought people together to work as a group. toward all achieving the same goal. Henry Ford was only aiming to bring cars into the homes of the average citizen.
The change in the U.S. can be said to be a social revolution. People were growing sick of the same old movies, they wanted a change and Hollywood needed to deliver or else they would lose their audience to the TV. In the early 60's, the studios were still afraid of the blacklisting so the films were still very safe. An example of this is the film Sound of Music (1965). This was a film about a musical family that needed to escape the Nazi presence. Although the movie is based on a true story, they still follow the same old idea of a nice family, who must escape from the clutches of evil. Basically, the movie is saying good guys win and bad guys always lose. Sure this how most films are made but there is no sense of change, no differences in the style or way it was made. Since there was no change, the public was not interested. The TV was much more convenient and kept the publics interested.
The 1920's were a time where North America became modernized. Whether it was the music, the culture or the growth in technology, this time era is known to most people as the point where America advanced itself to become a world renowned country. An advancement that will be focused on is the Ford Model T. During this time owning a car was a symbol of wealth. Henry Ford, the creator of the Model T, made a system that revolutionized the automobile industry as we know it today. Henry Ford made it possible for people with an average income to own a motor vehicle by creating the assembly line and the theory of mass production. "The horse, which had been the chief means of land transportation for 3,500 years, had given way to the automobile, and the country's largest industry had been born." (Gordon)
The United States was also in the process of industrialization. Industries were built and electricity was the new form of power. Electric lights became available and the first movies were made. "By 1916, 21,000 movie houses were testimony of a new industry" (Hacker and Zahler 99). Automobiles became prevalent and that caused the need for roads to be built: "The early growth of the automobile industry wakened a new and much stronger demand for surfaced roads" (Hacker and Zahler 101). Henry Ford was a major contributor in propelling the automobile industry. He improved the assembly line and mass production of parts. "By 1914, the automobile industry had developed such characteristic features as standardization of parts, minute subdivision and mechanization of labor, and even the assembly line in manufacturing" (Hacker and Zahler 100). The United States experienced great social and industrial change on a national scale as well as international scale.
In the 1800s many innovations took place in America; however it was advances in transportation that changed America the most. At the start of the 19th century, there were no railroads or canals, making travel very difficult and long. Trading was also tough because there was no easy route to get to popular trading ports. Starting in 1812, the country was in a very good place and was in the process of rapidly improving. During this time, the steam engine also made an appearance in America. It helped with the invention of the steamboat, as well as the invention of locomotives. Advances in transportation during the 1800s completely transformed commerce, economic structure, the population density and had many other positive effects on America.
In the 1920's, corporations started to take better care of their workers than they had in the past. Workers were paid higher wages and worked shorter hours. With more time and money on their hands, workers turned into consumers, which caused an increase in the production of consumer goods. One of the most popular consumer goods is the automobile. To keep up with the high demand, the automobile industry had to create a way to make a lot of cars in a short amount of time, at a low price.
Many of these new inventions shape the future for us; for example, the telephone helped us communicate with other people from around the world. Like for us right now, we cannot live without phones; our lives would be nothing without the telephone. Another great advancement was the railroad, it allowed us to travel much easier and much faster, it also allowed us to trade much easier. Nowadays most things are transported by train, airplane, ships. But back in the day they had to transport stuff by horse and wagon, that’s what motivated them to create the railroad that made every day much easier.
The automobile was only used by less than ten million Americans and by the end of this post-war decade that number had climbed to over thirty million. Many new inventions were coming through, making life for Americans much more comfortable. Radios, vacuum cleaners, irons, washing machines, and refrigerators were among the new necessities Americans just had to have. Refrigerators allow for better production and transportation of food products. This allowed for the ability to keep food cold and fresh, thus making exporting of food a valuable agricultural economy.
The 1920s exploded with fast paced and lively creativity and culture that influence the world, yet no invention affected American everyday life in the 20th century more than the automobile. The rapidly growing automobile industry led by Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Increased wages and lower cost vehicles made possible through mass production meant that cars became increasingly affordable, although 3 out of 4 cars were bought on installment plans. Company produced new and better models every year to supply the insatiable public demand( http://www.1920-30.com). With, automobiles it made it easier for people to go place to place, it also was affordable for the people to buy. The automobiles were easy to make because of the assembly line in that
That was until the early 20th century. Suddenly there were huge automobile companies that started to mass produce cars. General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and