Perhaps no other technological invention of the 19th century has had such a far reaching impact upon American culture and society as the development of the automobile. From the development of the assembly line style of manufacturing in the early 1900’s to the oil crises of the 1970’s, the automobile has affected the way Americans travel, work and play. Today, cars are as much a part of our popular culture as the television and cell phone. But a century ago, the automobile was still in its infancy, still searching for a niche in society. In the urban core the car began to find that niche, but in the rural areas of this country, the car remained a novelty. However, the car eventually led to a transformation of virtually every aspect rural life. Some of the changes were positive, but some were also negative.
Mobility and Rural Life
Initially, when the automobile first appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, rural residents referred to it as the “Devil’s Wagon” because it disrupted life more than it enhanced it. Rural farmers were not ready to abandon the trusty horse and wagon as the primary means of transportation and expressed concerns about the cars’ impact on their property and animals. Today’s advanced pavements and tire designs were decades away from being developed in the 1920’s, as most roads were constructed almost entirely of dirt and gravel. This resulted in the destruction of fence posts and other farm property when drivers lost control of their cars under poor driving conditions.
The Transformation of Rural Life
With increased mobility, rural neighbors no longer spent leisure time in and around the family farm. Many began traveling to the nearest city in search of fun and excitement. They often found it and some decided they could not live without it and ultimately relocated to the cities altogether. The migration from farms to cities during this period was greatly affected by the increased mobility offered by the automobile. However, such demographic shifts were not always in the best interest of rural communities as the loss of manpower often caused irreparable damage to the family farms.
In the area of rural education, the introduction of the automobile meant that children could further their education beyond grade school, as many rural communities had no high schools. The car made travel to the city schools affordable and even enjoyable. Practically every aspect of education, from library service to teacher education, could be enhanced by the automobile. The same results were found in rural religious practices. The automobile enabled religious clergy to consolidate churches, leading to better use of facilities and reducing the need for clergy to travel great distances to officiate church services throughout a region’s rural communities.
Conclusion
Even with all of its negatives, rural residents came to accept the automobile, once the economic and social usefulness was established. Still, the automobile was not the sole factor in the changes to rural life in the early 1900’s, but definitely contributed to ending the isolation felt by farmers which ultimately accelerated the development of urban centers.
Reference
Berger, Michael. The Devil Wagon in God’s Country: The Automobile and Social Change in Rural America, 1893-1929. Hamden: Archon Books, 1979.
