"LET [THE HORSE] BE CONSIDERED INDISPENSABLE, AS AN INSTRUMENT, UNTIL SOME BETTER INSTRUMENT ENABLES US TO DISPENSE WITH HIM."
-New York Times Editorial, 1881
Revolution in Transportation
![Picture](/uploads/9/1/4/9/9149020/8158741.jpg?1328991766)
Henry Ford and the first Model T. Speedace.
Although no individual can be credited with the invention of the automobile, Henry Ford was a key figure in replacing the horse as the primary source of transportation. Ford made the car affordable by introducing the assembly line and interchangeable parts. By 1900, 4,192 cars had been sold in the United States and the automobile became cheaper to maintain and operate than horses. By 1912, horses were no longer the main source of transportation in the largest U.S. cities.
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"In the 1850s and 1860s horses triumphed over all other forms of transportation... In the 1890-1900 era, the opposite happened. While earlier steam power seemed more dangerous than horses, electric power and gasoline seemed safer."
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Global Industry
The automobile created new industries and jobs. As new roads were built, the need for maintenance, construction, and fuel increased. The automobile changed global industry as it improved the movement of people and goods, both in and out of cities, contributing to the formation of new companies and the way we live today.