468

Labor-Saving Devices inthe United StatesSeveral changes that took place during the 1920s made the use ofelectrical household appliances more widespread.

• Wiring for electricity became common. In 1917, only 24 percent ofU.S. homes had electricity; by 1930, that figure was almost 70 percent.

• Merchants offered the installment plan, which allowed buyers tomake payments over time. That way, people could purchaseappliances even if they didn’t have the whole price.

• The use of advertising grew. Ads praised appliances, claiming thatthey would shorten tasks and give women more free time.

Ironically, the new labor-saving devices generally did not decreasethe amount of time women spent doing housework. Because the tasksbecame less physically difficult, many families stopped hiring servantsto do the work and relied on the wife to do all the jobs herself.

▼ Washing MachineTo do laundry manually, women had tocarry and heat about 50 gallons of waterfor each load. They rubbed the clotheson ridged washboards, rinsed them intubs, and wrung them out by hand.

This early electric washing machine,photographed in 1933, made the jobless strenuous. The casters on the legsmade it easier to move tubs of water.The two rollers at the top of themachine squeezed water from clothes.That innovation alone saved women’swrists from constant strain.

RESEARCH LINKS For more on daily lifein the 1920s, go to classzone.com

▼ RefrigeratorPeople used to keep perishable food in iceboxes cooled by largechunks of ice that gradually melted and had to be replaced.Electric refrigerators, like the one in this 1929 advertisement, keptthe food at a fairly constant temperature, which reduced spoilage.Because food kept longer, housewives could shop less frequently.

APPLIANCES INTHE HOME

• In 1929, a survey of 100 Fordemployees showed that 98 ofthem had electric irons in theirhomes.

• The same survey showed that49 of the 100 had washingmachines at home.

▲ IronBefore electrical appliances, women heated irons on a stove. The irons cooled quickly, andas they did so, women had to push down harder to press out wrinkles. Early electric ironsalso had inconsistent heat. This 1926 ad offered an electric iron that stayed evenly hot, sowomen didn’t have to put so much force into their ironing. Therefore, they could ironsitting down.

Coffee PotThe electric coffee pot shown in this 1933photograph was a vacuum pot. The waterin the bottom chamber would come to aboil and bubble up into the top chamber,where the grounds were. The resultingvacuum in the lower chamber pulled theliquid back through the grounds and intothe lower chamber.

Vacuum CleanerThis 1920 ad promised “Twice asmany rooms cleaned. . . . twice asmuch leisure left for you to enjoy.”However, women rarelyexperienced that benefit. Becausethe new appliances madehousework easier, people began toexpect homes to be cleaner. As aresult, many women vacuumed moreoften and generally used theirnewfound “leisure” time to do evenmore household chores than before.

1. Analyzing Issues What benefits didadvertisers promise that the newelectrical appliances would providefor women? Explain whether womenactually received those benefits.

See Skillbuilder Handbook, page R17.

2. Comparing and Contrasting Ask twoor three adults about the way thattechnology has affected their work lifeand whether modern technologies are“labor-saving devices.” How do yourfindings compare to the effect ofelectrical appliances in the 1920s?

▲

▲

500

700

900

1100

1300

1500

1927 1931 1935 1939Source: Historical Statistics of the United States

Num

bers

in T

hous

ands

Mechanical Washing Machines Shipped

0

100

200

300

400

500

1920 1930 1940 1950

Source: Historical Statistics of the United States

Num

bers

in T

hous

ands

Persons Employed as Private Laundress

469