The growth of the automotive industry caused an economic revolution throughout the United States. In the early 20th century, horse-drawn vehicles and railroads were the dominant sources for transporting goods and people. Before the assembly line, each vehicle was created individually. The assembly line created by Henry Ford made automobile production faster and easier. The assembly line doubled production, reduced costs, and made each worker an expert at installing his or her particular part of the car. Its low production cost also made it possible to lower the final cost of the car. Soon there were more and more cars on the roads. “The 1920s saw enormous growth in the number of automobiles owned, with the number of registered drivers nearly tripling to 23 million by the end of the decade” (The Age of the Automobile 1). With more cars on the road, jobs such as mechanics, gas station attendants, and state patrolmen were created. Financing also became available, and Americans who previously couldn't afford a car could purchase one on credit. The need for paved roads led to an entirely new industry employing thousands of men. The automobile brought economic success to America. Without the car these roads and these fast means of transport would not exist. Transportation was made easier and faster, no more bus or train travel. Americans now had the freedom to travel and explore their country. The automobile was able to cut travel time in half. Life no longer revolved around the busy city. Americans moved to the suburbs and were able to travel to the city to shop and work. Even the lives of the inhabitants of rural areas have changed, they have been able to reach the city faster by car instead of... middle of paper......ile“The car has created a dependency, we could not live in society without cars due to mass transportation systems” (Negative Impact of the Automobile 5). In addition to creating dependency on the automobile, traffic congestion, air pollution, and fatalities increased as the number of cars on the roads increased. Throughout the 20th century, the automobile changed American society in many ways. Before the automobile, traveling took twice as long. for a long time and people didn't see how they could explore the world outside their home. New ideas were created to make Americans' lives easier, and industries thrived creating economic prosperity. After the automobile, new positions became available that gave many Americans the opportunity to earn a living. Travel was made easier and faster. The America we know today might have been very different if the automobile had never existed.