Essay

Primary Sources

Dupont Chassis Photographs (c.1919-1930) and Auto Repair Catalog (1912)

Early Automobile Advertisements

Transcontinental Road Map (c.1918)

Internal Combustion Engine (1909)

Census Statistics (1900-2001)

Annotated Bibliography

Primary Sources
Secondary Sources

About the Author

David Blanke is Joe B. Frantz Associate Professor of History at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He earned his BS at the University of Kentucky and his MA and PhD at Loyola University Chicago.

Rise of the Automobile

Census Statistics (1900-2001)

Annotation

The U.S. Census Bureau provides the official record for American automobiles. This link lists the miles traveled, vehicles registered, and auto-related fatalities recorded from 1900 to 2001. Students can compare trends, particularly in these early years, and discuss reasons for the falling fatality rates.