Ford Motor Company Assembly Line, circa 1914, Highland Park. This photograph shows Ford’s assembly line soon after it began operation in 1913. The assembly line was based on several factors, such as the accuracy of interchangeable parts, the sequential organization of machines, the widespread use of conveyors, and the reliance on unskilled or semiskilled labor.

From Trust and power : consumers, the modern corporation, and the making of the United States automobile market by Sally H. Clarke