Automobiles
The invention of automobiles revolutionized American society and changed how we think about our day-to-day lives. They gave people more personal freedom, opened new industries, and created jobs and services that didn’t exist before.
They also made it easier for women to get around and vote. In 1916, two women named Nell Richardson and Alice Burke drove around with “votes for women” banners and even gave speeches from their cars.
Their automobiles helped them demonstrate their strength and identity to the world.
Today, automobiles are the primary means of transportation for most families in America and the rest of the world. They are a sophisticated system that combines fuel efficiency and speed to provide the mobility and flexibility of use demanded by an enormous variety of lifestyles.
The automobile has shaped every facet of American society, including the design of our cities and the delivery of police, fire, ambulance, and utility services. It has given rise to a powerful class of semiskilled industrial workers and opened remunerative industrial employment for many unskilled workers.
But the automobile has caused environmental pollution, urban sprawl, and a rising cost of living. And, of course, it has caused accidental deaths and injuries.
