Modern Conveniences in America

Modern Conveniences

Living in a time where modern conveniences are at hand makes an easy life. If the everyday objects like microwaves, air conditioning, and televisions were taken away people would not be able to function. The American society was not always so lucky to have everything effortless. Before microwaves and refrigerators were invented, people truly had to work for their food. Inventions have really made every day lives convenient.

The microwave oven revolutionized cooking, making it quick and trouble-free to prepare a complete meal. Dr. Percy Spencer was working for the Raytheon Manufacturing Company in 1946, when he accidently stumbled upon the invention of the microwave. According Raytheon the production to the first microwave was in 1954. The first microwave was too large for everyday home use. It was mainly used commercially, in restaurants and large company buildings. “The first oven was 670 pounds, sixty-two inches tall, nearly two feet deep and wide. To install it, an electrician had to put in a 220-volt line and a plumber had to install a water pipe to cool the oven’s radar tube. This first oven sold shortly after the war ended for more than $2,000, the equivalent of about $20,000 today” (Invention and Technology Magazine pg 126). The first home microwave was invented in 1964, by Richard Foerstner. It was made to appeal to women, since women where the ones who would be using it the most. The microwave was primary technology that other companies started to adapt their products to it. TV dinner’s packages were changed so they could be placed in the microwave, because the metal trays would damage it. Frozen pizza companies changed the sizes of pizzas so women could just place them in the microwave for a conv...

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...the easy way out, but the easy way is not always the right way. Microwaves, air conditioning, and televisions are good inventions, but sometimes they make live a little to easy and people have come to depend on them way too much.

Works Cited

Hammack, William. "“THE GREATEST DISCOVERY SINCE FIRE”." Spring 2005: n. pag. Web. 23 Oct 2009. .

Jones Jr., Malcolm. "Air Conditioning." Newsweek Winter 1997: 42. Print.

Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, and Alan Lawson. The American Promise A Compact History. third. II. Boston/New York: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2007. 715. Print.

Stephens, Mitchell. "History of Television." 1998. NYU, Web. 26 Oct 2009. .