Henry Ford’s Model T and assembly line are important turning points in American history. Before 1908, automobiles were a luxury that only the rich could afford. Henry Ford found a cheaper, faster way to build cars. The Model T was made on an assembly line, producing more cars in less time. Ford’s innovations in manufacturing created less expensive cars and higher wage jobs. Also, Model T’s revolutionized transportation and roadways. They allowed people to travel to work, visit family far away, and take vacations. By 1930 over 500,000 miles of paved roads connected rural and suburban areas with cities. Henry Ford and the Model T relate to the NHD theme because by improving the assembly line for manufacturing cars, they expanded the American working class and changed the country's landscape.
