Description
In the 1950s the United States enjoyed a broad-based, unprecedented level of prosperity. Rising purchasing power, expanding credit, and a rapidly growing advertising industry stimulated consumerism. One industry that rapidly developed and expanded was the automobile industry. During the 1950s, Americans purchased 58 million cars. By 1960, 75 percent of American families owned one. The automobile created mobility on a scale not known before, and the automobile industry became a vital element in the economy. It became one of the world’s major manufacturing industries. The automobile dramatically impacted American society, whether you owned one or not.
In order to prepare for this discussion forum:
Review and identify relevant sections of Chapters 19, 20, and 28 that address support for your discussion.
Identify and use at least one outside source for your discussion. Sources must be cited in your discussion. If a link is available, please provide it.
After you have completed your readings post your response to only ONE of the following questions.
Discuss how the automobile positively or negatively impacted American society.
- Do you agree or disagree with the assessment that has been made on the importance of the automobile?
- In order to earn the full 100 points (100%) for this assignment, you must:
Directly and completely answer at least ONE question. Please make sure that you clearly indicate which question you have chosen to discuss. Clearly and accurately explain your answer based on factual information contained in the assigned readings. (80 points)
Students must respond to at least one fellow student’s posting explaining the reason(s) for their agreement or disagreement, with the arguments that have been presented, in order to get full credit for the discussion. (20 points)
PART 2 (RESPONDING TO CLASSMATE IN 3-4 SENTENCES)
- The automobile was first invented in the late 1860s and around the 1950s, American automobiles acquired a sense of glamor and fashion, and this resulted in a massive number of buyers. The automobile contributed to the positive development of American society by promoting fast transport systems compared to bicycles and walking. In addition, the reliability and efficiency of transportation significantly contributed to the improvement of trade. A growing number of automobiles prompted improvements to the transportation system. Sadly, automobiles contribute to environmental exploitation by burning fuel to run their engines. Aside from that, the combustion of fuel in the engines contributes significantly to environmental pollution. During this time, driving expertise was also a challenge. As a result, road accidents caused an increase in mortality. I wish we could have established strong environmental policies on automobiles, among other industries, however, I fully agree that the automobile has had a positive impact on American society.
