A View From the Front Lines: How Television Changed Our Lives

(Retro Television-Wilson, Robert A. American Greats. New York: Public Affairs,1999.)

It is important to know how television was invented, marketed and manufactured to be purchased in homes because it changed the way American's viewed and perceived the world around them.

The importance of the invention of television-
A young man from Utah named Philo Farnsworth had an idea about “flying pictures through airwaves.” (The Teen Who Invented Television, pg.8)


(Sketch by Philo- Wycoff, Edwin Brit. The Teen Who Invented Television: Philo T. Farnsworth and His Awesome Invention. Enslow Publishers, Inc., New Jersey, 2008.)




He drew his idea on a piece of paper when he was a young man in rural Utah. He gave that piece of paper to his Science teacher. The teacher must have known that it would be an important paper because he kept it for many years. (The Teen Who Invented Television,pg. 15)


Philo worked on his invention, and many others throughout his life. But he knew the television was an invention that was very important and so he applied for patents for his invention and was given the patents in 1930. (American Great, pg.114)
Now, because of the patents other businesses could use the idea, but they had to pay Philo money each time they used the invention.

The introduction of television in America~



After the technology was available, companies began making televisions and in
1939 at the New York World’s Fair, companies brought their models so people could view the television for the first time. “This box with moving pictures was nothing short of a miracle!” (Eureka!,pg.110)

How television brought news and commercials into American homes –


World War II was the first televised war. This brought a sense of realism to people about the aspects of war. For the first time people could see war’s devastation and destruction. Americans could now see and experience first hand the sites, sounds and action of not just war, but local news as well.

(Bulova Clock-Wilson, Robert A. American Greats. New York: Public Affairs,1999.)

Advertising was part of America life though radio and print, but television brought it into homes with sound and moving pictures. The first commercial was of a Bulova clock face. The hands went around for one minute and it cost Boluva four dollars for a minute of air time. In 1996, a commercial cost 2.4 million during the Super Bowl. Through television, commercials now brought products to people who may not have realized they needed or wanted a product.

(Modern Television-Horvitz, Leslie Alan. Eureka!- Scientific Breakthroughs That Changed the World. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 2002.)

What television means today-

Today televisions are accessible and can be in anyone’s home who choses to purchase one. They range from very affordable to highly expensive depending on their size and features. Televisions have advanced in technology since Philo Farnsworth’s invention, but without his humble beginnings, we may not have this powerful communicator today.

We rely on television to bring us up-to-date on current affairs, to entertain us, and inform us. The invention and public availability of television has change our lives as a nation.

~*~*~*~*~*~
Resources used:

1. Fisher. David E. Tube- The Invention of Television. Washington DC: Publishers Group West, 1996.



2. Horvitz, Leslie Alan. Eureka!- Scientific Breakthroughs That Changed the World. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 2002.



3. Wycoff, Edwin Brit. The Teen Who Invented Television: Philo T. Farnsworth and His Awesome Invention. Enslow Publishers, Inc., New Jersey, 2008.




4. Wilson, Robert A. American Greats. New York: Public Affairs,1999.

Henry Ford's Model "T"

Henry Ford shown with Model T photo-Clymer, Floyd. Henry's Wonderful Model T 1908- 1927. New York: McGraw-Hill Books, 1955., pg.84)

Henry Ford grew up on a farm in Michigan. He learned about farming machinery; how to use it and how it worked. As an adult he used this knowledge to design and build some of the first cars ever made in America. His most famous car was the Model T that he began manufacturing in 1908.

Everyone in America wanted to own a Model T, so to keep up with the orders, Henry came up with the idea of an assembly line to build the car. The Model T's chassis would be moved along a line from worker to worker. Each worker would attach parts to it. In 1914, as the workers became more efficient at this, the entire process only took two hours!

(Assembly Line Photo- Collins, Tom. The Legendary Ford: the ultimate history of America's first great automobile. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2007.)

(Assembly line photo-Wright,David K. Model T Fords. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002., pg.7)

Henry was a fair employer and a good businessman. He wanted his workers to be able to own a car that they helped to make. So he raised his worker's salaries so they could afford to purchase a Model T. This probably also made the worker's more conscientious knowing that they may be working on their own car.
He also marketed his cars in the movies. The Model T was used in silent films and was great advertising for the car company.

(Silent movie photo-Wright,David K. Model T Fords. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002., pg. 9)

The Model T became popular for many reasons. It was easy to afford for many people. The basic black model cost as little as $360. It was a reliable mode of transportation and it came in many shapes and sizes too. There were two-seaters or four-door sedans. They were also built as ambulances, school buses and other specialized vehicles.

(Two-seater Model T photo-Wright,David K. Model T Fords. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002., pg.11)

The Model T changed the way many Americans lived their lives. People could live outside the city and drive to work everyday. The farmers who lived in the rural areas could easily transport their crop to the grocers in the big city. In 1915, the Ford Company improved the lights on the car and people were even able to drive at night.

(Advertisement for Ford car parts- Clymer, Floyd. Henry's Wonderful Model T 1908- 1927. New York: McGraw-Hill Books, 1955., pg. 207)

The most productive year for the company was 1923. It sold over two million Model T Fords that year. This brought many changes in America. Because so many people were able to buy cars, new roads and more fuel were needed. By 1924 more than ten million cars had been sold since the first Model T was built. Now cars, instead of horses, were the main form of transportation.

In 1926 the Model T was no longer the biggest selling car. Other car companies, like Chevrolet, had started selling cars that were faster and sleeker than the Model T. So in order to keep up, the Ford company stopped making the Model T and began making a more modern car, the Model A. This ended an era of car manufacturing. The Model T had "run it's course"* and "reached the end of the line."*


(Model T photo- Wright,David K. Model T Fords. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002., pg. 5)

*quotes used: Wright,David K. Model T Fords. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002.
- photos and resources used:

Wright,David K. Model T Fords. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002.

Clymer, Floyd. Henry's Wonderful Model T 1908- 1927. New York: McGraw-Hill Books, 1955.

Collins, Tom. The Legendary Ford: the ultimate history of America's first great automobile. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2007.

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/ford.htm