Henry Ford and the 1920s Economy

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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As you can see, a society's advertising can tell much about its culture.

What do they value, what is considered attractive, and which people are influenced are some things marketers might consider.

Advertisers of the 1920s used psychological research and techniques to encourage people to buy. When looking at 1920s advertising, we can tell there was a consumer revolution, characterized by widespread amounts of products being marketed, that led to a consumer culture.

During the Roaring Twenties, many new, affordable goods became available. The growing accessibility of electricity and the ability to buy with credit stimulated more interest in consumer goods. As consumerism increased in the 1920s, many Americans made a new purchase for the first time — they bought automobiles.

You probably already know something about Henry Ford.

Make a list of everything you can recall about him.

Then, explore the resources below to learn more.

• Henry Ford
• Henry Ford

Being the businessman that he was, Henry Ford supported Prohibition. Recall that Prohibition was the period in America from 1920–1933 when the distribution and sale of alcohol was illegal (Check out the Elephango lesson under Additional Resources in the right-hand sidebar to learn more.).

• Why do you suppose he liked this ban on alcohol?

Look at your original list of what you know about Ford. Cross off anything incorrect, and add any new facts that you learned.

Due to Ford's efficiency with the assembly line, the mass production of the Model T caused its price to decrease over time.

In 1908, the Model T sold for $850, but by 1927, it was $290. This meant that by 1927, 56% of families could own a car. View the R&L Time Payment Plan advertisement from 1925.

When items are mass-produced, they are rapidly created, resulting in large numbers of identical products. Imagine going to the grocery store and coming out to realize you forgot where you parked.

• How would you identify which black Ford is yours?

The automobile greatly helped stimulate the economy. Brainstorm and discuss with your teacher or parent how building cars would help other sectors of the economy.

• With the large-scale production of cars, what else would be needed?

If one of the things you guessed was advertising, you are correct! Advertising was a tool used by manufacturers to encourage Americans to buy their products. With the growth of radio, advertisers were more easily able to market and spread their company name.

Henry Ford's products were just one example of an American product that came to have a mutually beneficial relationship with advertising. Ford Motor Company, based in Detroit, helped stimulate various other industries.

This boom in the economy is regularly traced back to Henry Ford and his ability to make automobiles affordable for the average American.

Drive on over to the Got It? section to interview Mr. Ford!