Figure 1.--This photograoh is undated, but the mount suggests it was taken arond 1905. At the time the gorse was still vital to he American farmer. Wiyhin a few years, Henry Ford would unleash his Model-T Tin Lizzie on Ameica. And as a result the frmer would have vastly increased power at his disposal And the America farmer turned tht into incredible increases in productivity.

At the beginning of the decade, the farmer was still dependent on horse power. Horses were still very important to the American farmer. There had been considerable mechanization , but mostly still with horsepower. A virtually unknown automobile manufacturer, Henry Ford, began producing the Model-T Ford Tin Lizzie (1908). It would be a game changer. The mathematics in astonishing. Think about it. A farm might have say four horses. That mean he was working with 4 horsepower. The Ford Model-T had 20 horsepower. That mean that the American farmer upon acquiring a Model-T had four time the power at his disposal. And farmers very quickly began putting that power to use. American farmers were already indescribably productive because of area, research support, and mechanization. The increased power avail significantly increased productivity. At first Ford's Model-T primarily transportation, but in the 1910s tractors began appearing. Tractors were a major interest to Ford. Ford designed a car the average worker and farmer could afford and then mass produced it. American was already the greatest industrial power on earth, the automobile turned America into an industrial giant far beyond the output of the major European powers. There would was, however, very significant consequence for rural America. Motorized cars, trucks, and tractors began replacing horses leading to a huge increase in productivity. This would significantly increase the productivity of the American farmer. The automobile would significant reduced the isolation of rural America significantly increasing mobility. American cities were electrifying. American farms only began electrifying as a result of the New Deal (1930s). This would be the final step in putting power in the hands of the American farmer. ThIs is not only an American story, but would mean that despite two catastrophic world wars -- Europeans would not starve. Food relief will be a key element of American exceptionalism.

Created: 9:30 AM 2/7/2025
Last updated: 9:30 AM 2/7/2025