Revolution of technology growth from 1920-1980 Industrialization period in the United States
The current society arguably lives in the golden age of innovation, a period in which digital technology in form of the internment and smart devices have changed how people work and interact, in summary, today’s technology has changed human existence. However, despite the clear advent in new innovative technology there seems to be a disconnect between technological growth and the advancement in living standards[1]. As any individual may argue the internet is humanity’s greatest invention the changes brought are lesser compared to that of electricity in the 1910s. Online banking, online shopping, as well as mobile transfers are all features of the new financial market; however, they are an indication of how narrow the economics of things have become as compared to the 1920s where one innovation meant a change in several industries. The truth is technological advancements and their influence cannot be discussed objectively. For instance, which innovation was more significant, indoor plumbing, the smartphone, or the jet engine? For this reason, the best way to analyze the situation at hand is going through a technological revolution timeline during the golden industrial age from the 1920s to the 1970s highlighting technological innovations and how they changed the lives of people living in that era.
Technology is an important part of humanity as it makes life easier and better. In the U.S, there exists 4 technological eras that are classified as golden ages 1870s to1890s, 1920s to 1950s, 1970s and 2000. The 1920s to 1970s era are considered the most profitable in terms of economic or industrial growth and thus considered the most significant.
1920s Technology
In 1920, the United States was going through a purple patch after winning the Great War and the economy was booming, life was different unlike half a century prior. As stated by (cite), the most profound change after the war is that American homes became ‘networked’. It is the early 1920s that houses became connected to the city electric grid, this saw once dark homes shine with a bright light that did not emit smoke[2]. Different administrative and academic also saw houses become part of the sewer and soon after the clean water supply system saw a change in how waste was managed in homesteads. These new advances were the cause of increased urbanization and industrialization. For example, in 1870 an estimated 23% of the U.S population lived in urban centers, in 1920 the figure had risen to 51%[3]. The majestic ornate Victorian mansions were destroyed to give way to the construction of small bungalows affordable to the working class. As part of the industrialization era, the building and construction industry took off making mass housing available. The housing prices by an estimated factor of 10 from the beginning of the 1900s to the 1930s in the advent of factory production. The revolution of technology such as chlorination and filtration is hard to overstate because the entire U.S health system was changed due to such innovations[4]. At the time, the major advances made in the medical industry such as antibiotics were yet to arrive; however, clean water, as well as waste removal, reduced the death rate by a factor of eight from 1900 to 1940. The number of hospitals equipped with clean water and waste removal systems grew from 120 in 1870 to 6000 in 1930, medicine became more of a science and not an avenue for dubious doctors selling unrealistic cure-alls.
During the 1920s, the transportation industry also underwent its own change particularly in the urban areas due to the increased production of motor vehicles. In 1900 it was estimated that in the entire U.S, there were only 8000 registered automobiles’ nevertheless, in 1930 this figure had gone up to 23 million[5]. The Streetcars and subways became e part of the transport infrastructure in the major cities by the 1940s representing a much reliable and steady form of transport. For example, in 1900 it took an estimated 38hours to travel from New York to Chicago by train; nonetheless, this time was significantly lessened by the introduction of better diesel-powered trains in the 1940sd to 16hours. The social effect of easier and faster traveling was profound particularly in rural areas where both people and commodities could get to urban centers efficiently. As infrastructure developed, so did the food and processing industry with companies such as Quaker oats, Coca-Cola, Heinz sauces, and Campbell’s soup began to develop processed food which got around the country swiftly. By the 1950s, Americans ate Kellogg’s cornflakes and orange juice for breakfast instead of pork and grain mush because such meals were easier to find themselves to the market.
1970s Technology
In the beginning of the 1970s, the significance of technological advancements was clear and this fueled the desire for more high-tech systems. Back in the 1920 air travel was considered a perilous, uncomfortable endeavor; nonetheless, in the 1970s airplane makers such as Boeing and McDonald Douglas had set their sights on improving the customer experience. The coach class system was introduced and traveling in a jumbo jet was much safer and comfortable, the seats were covered by luxury material and the service was based on being the best[6]. Traveling from the West Coast to the East Coast changed from being a 16-hour long affair by train to 6 hours for those who could afford it. As explained the number of automobiles in the 1930s went up to about 23 million; nevertheless, despite mass production, these vehicles were uncomfortable and prone to malfunctioning because they were often driven on unpaved roads. By the 1970s the amount of research and development that had gone on in the automobile industry allowed manufacturers to develop much more comfortable vehicles. The 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302, 1972 Plymouth Road Runner, and the 1978 Porsche 911 Turbo were different engineering masterpieces as compared to the vehicle that was developed in the 1920s and 30s. Additionally, these vehicles were driven on comparatively smooth, safe surfaces such as highway systems, most of which had been built by 1972.
As aforementioned, the technological changes that happened in the 1920s made the housing industry change drastically. However, by the 1970s these technologies became truly universal for instance, in the 1940s only 79% of urban housing was served by the electric grid while only 74% by cleaning running water[7]. In the 1970s, the same figures showed 100 percent and 98% respectively. As homes became more electrified so the changes in lifestyles. The number of Refrigerators went up by 100% in 1970 from 1940. The processed food culture was replaced by the fresh foods trend, which was much healthier.
In 1923, the first home air conditioners were introduced into the US household market, these gadgets transformed cities with hot weather such as Las Vegas, Miami, and Houston. An estimated 48,000 room air-conditioning units sold all over America in 1946, a figure that rose to two million by 1957. In 1970, despite this technology remaining relatively the same but due to new designs homes had the option to develop HAVC systems that could serve through different seasons and locations[8]. The age of mass communication drastically changed the way American entertainment. A person living in 1920 often listen to a phonograph at home and at times went to a silent movie at the nearest theater. Nevertheless, by the end of the 1970s, the color television and radio were must-have household appliances. The quality of entertainment led to a fall in movie attendance in any given week fell by about 20% of the population in 1970 as compared to 60% in 1940. It should be noted though that those who went to cinemas could view lush epics with color and sound as the technology was transferable.
In summary, technology changes humanity; however, the significance of these change brings about the golden era debate. From the information that has been, provided the 1920s represented an era of invention where new technology was introduced to the public and changed lives. Electricity reduced costs of living and introduced the use of appliances such as refrigerators into the household while clean water and sewage improved the entire health sector. The industrial boom of saw a change in the infrastructure of the country with trains, cares, and planes all becoming a significant part of development. The 1970s were all about innovation, improving on 1920s technology bettering on quality and efficiency. The two eras combined arguable represent the golden age of technological revolution.
Bibliography
Blackburn, Phil, Rod Coombs, and Kenneth Green. Technology, economic growth and the labour process. Springer, 2017.
Gordon, Robert J. The 1920s and the 1990s in Mutual Reflection. No. w11778. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2005.
Gordon, Robert J. Two centuries of economic growth: Europe chasing the American frontier. No. w10662. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2004.
Gordon, Robert J. The 1920s and the 1990s in Mutual Reflection. No. w11778. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2005.
Kuznets, Simon, and John Thomas Murphy. Modern economic growth: Rate, structure, and spread. Vol. 2. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1966.
Mowery, David C., and Nathan Rosenberg. Technology and the pursuit of economic growth. Cambridge University Press, 1991.
Pohjola, Matti. Information Technology and Economic Growth. A Cross-Country Analysis. No. 173. 2000.
[1] Matti, Pohjola. Information Technology and Economic Growth. A Cross-Country Analysis. No. 173. 2000.
[2] Mowery, David C., and Nathan Rosenberg. Technology and the pursuit of economic growth. Cambridge University Press, 1991.
[3] Gordon, Robert J. The 1920s and the 1990s in Mutual Reflection. No. w11778. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2005
[4] Blackburn, Phil, Rod Coombs, and Kenneth Green. Technology, economic growth and the labour process. Springer, 2017.
[5] Kuznets, Simon, and John Thomas Murphy. Modern economic growth: Rate, structure, and spread. Vol. 2. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1966.
[6] Gordon, Robert J. Two centuries of economic growth: Europe chasing the American frontier. No. w10662. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2004.
[7] Gordon, Robert J. The 1920s and the 1990s in Mutual Reflection. No. w11778. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2005.
[8] Gordon, Robert J. Two centuries of economic growth: Europe chasing the American frontier. No. w10662. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2004.