As the Untied States was coming out of the Civil War and Reconstruction, people began to experiment and create new inventions. The economy and industry needed someone or something to really get things going in the United States. As time went on in the late 1800’s people were always thinking of better modes of transportation. After several years of experimentation on June 4, 1896 a man by the name of Henry Ford invented the first ever automobile. He named his invention the Quadricycle.

The Quadricycle was constructed of four bicycle wheels and had a four-horse power engine that ran on gasoline, which propelled it along. Henry Ford’s Quadricycle was made to carry two people and did not have a steering wheel; instead it had a tiller. It also only had two gears; both being forward, the automobile could not be reversed. The Quadricycle wasn’t built to transport goods, like much of the previous modes of transportation were used for. This was a new and effective way for people to get around.

Ford had much success with his new invention. It was first automobile that could transport people from place to place. The Quadricycle was the foundation in which Ford would later build his company from and it was a stepping stone for one of the most useful inventions ever created, the automobile. Because of Ford’s work, it led many other people to begin working on and trying to invent their own automobile, which was the beginning of economic growth through invention.

In the years that followed, Ford’s invention would make way for one of the largest manufactures of automobiles in the word. To this day Ford Motor Company is still making new automobiles and contributing to our nation’s economy by providing people with jobs, and also earning the United States a lot of money because it is an American made car. Ford’s invention of the automobile could be considered one of the best inventions of all time.

Henry Ford’s Quadricycle

1896_Ford_Quadricyclehttp://corporate.ford.com/company/history.html

The above photo is a picture of the first automobile ever created, Henry Ford’s Quadricycle; invented on June 4, 1896.

 Citations

 Ford Motor Company. 2015. “Company Timeline.” Accessed January 27. http://library.unc.edu/citationbuilder/cite/?source=website&style=cad.

The Henry Ford. 1999. “The Quadricycle.” Accessed January 27. https://www.thehenryford.org/exhibits/showroom/1896/quad.html.

Vance, Bill. 2000. “Quadricycle Propelled Ford to Fame: [Final Edition].” Accessed January 27. http://search.proquest.com/docview/353663749?pq-origsite=summon.