America On Wheels

Catalog description

Our national love affair with the automobile has been going on for more than a century. The “horseless carriage” changed the face of America and spawned a network of roads and highways that has transformed the United States from an agrarian society to a suburban car culture. The scope of this course will address the impact that visionary pioneers, including Henry Ford, had in mobilizing the country, which in turn redefined our national identity. Because the automobile is such a complicated device, it has taken decades for auto manufacturers to produce the safe, powerful, and fuel-efficient and pollution free vehicles that we drive today. Students will, through a series of discussions, learn about the changes in automobile technology and the individuals behind those changes.