Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, electricity
was becoming more and more common in American
homes.
How was electricity making the American home
different?
What type of impact did it have on society?
Electricity had existed for many years, but
it was expensive for individual families to
have in their homes.
It had also been a difficult transition because
most homes and buildings had not been designed
with electrical wiring in mind.
However, by the late 1910s, some of these
obstacles were being overcome.
The introduction of electricity had a dramatic
impact on daily life.
The most obvious impact was the use of electric
lighting.
Lamps were considerably brighter than candles
or lanterns, which helped improve eyesight.
Also, as electric lighting became more available,
it eventually proved to be much less expensive
than the oil or gas used to light lanterns.
It was also cleaner than other forms of lighting
because there was no soot or smoke filling
the air.
The number of house fires dropped significantly
because there were no longer as many open
flames in people's homes.
Manufacturers began introducing a number of
appliances and other devices that used electricity.
Most of these devices were intended to make
life easier.
For example, electric vacuum cleaners, irons,
stoves, and washing machines all reduced the
amount of time the average family used to
perform daily tasks.
Homes and clothing also became cleaner as
a result.
Tea kettles, toasters, waffle irons, and many
other devices also started showing up in many
kitchens.
Radios and phonographs provided a new form
of entertainment as well.
Electric refrigerators also had a profound
effect on day-to-day life.
These were a vast improvement over wooden
ice boxes.
Food could be purchased and stored for longer
periods of time.
It also made food safer to eat because refrigerated
food did not grow bacteria as fast.
Additionally, grocery stores and markets could
offer a wider variety of foods.
Produce such as fresh fruit and vegetables
could be available year-round, rather than
just when these items were in season.
Electricity resulted in other changes as well.
The structure of architecture began to change.
Natural lighting was no longer necessary as
a light source.
This allowed windows to become a convenience
rather than a necessity.
Buildings could also become taller because
electric-powered elevators allowed for quicker
travel to the upper levels.
It was many years before every community would
become electrified.
Rural communities in the South would not receive
electricity until the late 1930s.
However, for most Americans, electricity became
an affordable reality.
