Mass Production Throughout American History

Paper Summary:

In this paper, the author examines the modern phenomena of mass production and specifically its development in the United States and the effect on American society. The paper begins with a brief introduction on the accepted interpretation of the idea behind mass production and briefly examines earlier examples of mass production techniques in the 16th century in Venice, Italy. The paper then continues and examines the development of mass production techniques in the US and their influence on the development of the US economy and society. The author of the paper concludes by bringing his own, personnel assessment of the long term effect of mass production on modern US society.

From the Paper:

"During the American Civil War and afterwards, English engineers began noticing similarities in the way American industries were producing arms and goods. They started to recognize products produced using less skilled workers, interchangeability, and mechanization as the "American system of manufacture" (Delong 1). As the manufacturing of firearms, watches, sewing machines, hay reapers, and other industrial goods began to become more standardized, the production methods began to gain interest from other nations in part due to the paradoxical nature of sales (Hounshell 5 & Delong 1). Products made by major firms exercising the American system of manufacture were at the highest scope of the price range yet they still were the most popular and highly promoted goods on the market (Hounshell 5). Yet the average citizen most likely could still not afford a rifle made by the Springfield Armory and therefore class division was obvious. The goods produced using interchangeable parts were vastly more expensive than a single skilled worker's product; therefore governmental departments were the primary consumers (Mokyr 137). To these means, the system of American manufacture would soon be transformed by a man whose resourceful thinking would lead to the creation of the world's most powerful method of production."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Biggs, Lindy. The Rational Factory. US: John Hopkins UP, 1996.
• DeLong, J. Bradford. "Slouching Towards Utopia? The Economic History of the 20th Century". University of California at Berkeley. Feb 1997. http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/tceh/Slouch_roaring13.html Oct 8, 2008.
• Graaf, John De, David Wann, Thomas H. Naylor, Redefining Progress (Organization).Affluenza. District of Columbia: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2001.
• Hounshell, David A. From the American System to Mass Production 1800-1932. Baltimore: John Hopkins UP, 1984.
• Meyer, Stephen. The Degradation of Work Revisited: Workers and Technology in the American Auto Industry, 1900-2000.http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Labor/L_Overview/L_Overview6.htm. Oct. 6, 2008.

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