Henry Ford and The Model T
by Henry Ford brought prosperity to the United States with the assembly lines and manufacture of the Model T.
Henry Ford and the manufacture of the Model T, more than anything else, brought prosperity to the twenties. The automobile industry was defined by Henry Ford. Without inventing the automobile or the assembly line, he perfected versions of them that made him the richest man in the United States.
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Henry Ford was the son of an Irish immigrant farmer. He was mechanically inclined and went to work for the Edison company in 1890. He build his first gasoline engine there but Ford borrowed his design ideas from the Duryea brothers, imagining the car as a cheap box on wheels. He brought out his first Model T in 1909 and sold almost 11,000 of them. Ford introduced the assembly line, proposed in a book by Frederick W. Taylor in 1911. The assembly line revolutionized the auto industry and reduced the price of an automobile from $950 to $300.
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By 1914 Ford had turned out 248,000 Model T’s. He paid his workers $5 a day, double the going rate. Ford was making $25,000 a day. Paying extra was the only way Ford could keep workers in the dehumanizing working conditions. Ford was autocratic and conservative. He tyrannized his workers, fired anyone for any reason, and especially anyone who bought another company’s automobile. He was a hard man and disciplined using gangster tactics. Fords attitude was that workers were unreliable and shiftless. During the depression, he blamed the workers laziness for the nations economic problems
The US began massive road building and the auto industry became the bedrock of American economy. Service stations, inns, motels and diners sprang up all over. The working class had a new sense of freedom. Where before they had been stuck in the villages and rural areas they could now take to the roads. Americans loved the automobile.
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Although his plants won big defense jobs during both world wars, Ford was an outspoken anti-Semite. He bought a newspaper, the Independent, that became an anti-Jewish propaganda machine. In 1905 Ford was involved with the American publication of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an anti-Semitic propaganda tract that had appeared in Russia to castigate Jews.
Unwilling to change his attitudes and accept changing styles Ford Motors fell behind the competition. Yet, for all his disturbing politics and hostility, at his death in 1947, Henry Ford remained an American folk hero.
http://quazen.com/recreation/autos/Be-the-best-driver-on-the-road/
http://quazen.com/recreation/autos/how-to-detail-your-car-and-save-money/
http://gomestic.com/personal-organization/organize-your-garage/
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Post CommentChristine Ramsay
On August 20, 2009 at 3:15 am
A very interesting read. Henry Ford was quite a man.
Christine
Somsri
On August 20, 2009 at 3:41 am
Really good post.
Ramalingam
On August 20, 2009 at 3:45 am
Henry Ford was a pioneer in automobiles and of course at times he was eccentric.It is an interesting account.Thanks for sharing.
Nikita K
On August 20, 2009 at 4:09 am
Awww, I was going to do a piece on American History dealing with Henry Ford and the American Boom but OH WELL!
Anyway, Henry Ford is a major piece of American history as is his production line system. I studied him just last year at school for my exams this June and man did I ace it? I know that he was so successful that at one point of time 1 car was being produced every 10 seconds, which is pretty impressive considering it was 1929.
A good informative article about an amazing time in American history.
Melody SJAL
On August 20, 2009 at 4:18 am
Very interesting.
MJ Sunderland
On August 20, 2009 at 4:24 am
Excellent work, situating Ford in the wider economic context. I didn’t know about his anit-Semitism. Thanks for sharing. Please check out my article on the same subject.
Jenny Heart
On August 20, 2009 at 4:52 am
Interesting article for our inquiring minds. Like it!
Francois Hagnere
On August 20, 2009 at 5:33 am
Bravo Ruby, this is another excellent article of yours! It’s good to recall Ford’s black side of his personality.
Thank you Ruby, take care,
François
giftarist
On August 20, 2009 at 6:29 am
Interesting! Thanks for sharing
nobert soloria bermosa
On August 20, 2009 at 7:07 am
a famous man in history
Phill Senters
On August 20, 2009 at 8:02 am
Another good write on a piece of American history. Great work Ruby.
chitragopi
On August 20, 2009 at 8:53 am
Interesting article on a true hero
Lex92
On August 20, 2009 at 9:43 am
I didn’t know Henry Ford was racist against Jews. My friend’s great grandpa was Henry Ford’s body guard. I always thought that was pretty sweet
great article Ruby… Henry Ford did a lot for America (I mean, his cas today are pretty sweet!) even though he wasn’t the best person on the inside… he still gave us the cheap automobile
Collette Edwards
On August 20, 2009 at 11:35 am
another great informative article from the great Rudy, well done
Holly J. Harrington
On August 20, 2009 at 12:04 pm
A winner Ruby.
PR Mace
On August 20, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I love my history class with Ruby. Where you a school teacher? Thanks for another well done article.
chris73
On August 20, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Well done. Most times people forget (or want to) the dark sides of great personalities.
papaleng
On August 20, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Though I know some facts about Henry Ford, your article somehow refreshes my memories. Thanks for sharing.
JonnieWall
On August 20, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Very informative. Through out history you find the bigger the innovation the more eccentric the creator.
Tanya Wallace
On August 20, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Really great historic write Ruby! Henry Ford is still a massive name but people forget there was an actual human behind the name.wonderful work as always!!!
LoveNFood
On August 20, 2009 at 7:37 pm
This is a great article. Henry Ford is a hero in my mind.
Like it.
JLEck
On August 20, 2009 at 7:46 pm
You are quite the historian. This article really caught me off guard. Good job!
Joe Dorish
On August 20, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Wonder what Ford would think today as GM and Chrysler struggle?
cebuanaeyez
On August 20, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I did not know that there was a dark side to a creative and genius man, Mr. Ford. Great article Ruby!
JanePen
On August 20, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Hi Ms Ruby, I’m new to your friends’ list, and this is my first article to read. I must say, this was a very interesting and well written article about Mr. Ford. You included sevaral facts that I had never heard. I will anxiously read your other articles! I’m glad you accepted my friend request! You are very talented writer! Thanks.
Ruby Hawk
On August 21, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Thank you my friends for your valuable time, your interest and your comments. Henry Ford is an important part of our American history but nobody could accuse him of having an agreeable personality. He did have his ugly dark side.
Pam, I am certainly not a teacher but I am a book worm.
lindalulu
On August 21, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Great article Ruby!
loualbert
On August 21, 2009 at 2:22 pm
It is amazing how many great men have been also ruthless and tough in their dealings with other poeple. Henry Ford was one of them. But what one can`t deny whether you like Henry Ford or not is that he changed America and had a big part in the course this country took in those times.
I liked this artical, and it was my pleasure to have read it.
By he way, check me out on the site; would you, please?
Moses Ingram
On August 21, 2009 at 6:24 pm
A great article and an informative one as well. I had no idea about the racism.
Moses Ingram
On August 21, 2009 at 6:25 pm
A great article and an informative one as well. I had no idea about the racism in his character.
Lostash
On August 22, 2009 at 4:47 pm
His dark side is not well known, and this should be discussed.
monica55
On August 24, 2009 at 1:10 am
A very informative piece Ruby, and I agree with some of the others that Henry Ford’s was quite a character. Tnx. for sharing.
Monica.
Bob Brown
On August 25, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Henry Ford was Henry Ford and he can take credit for many great things in Education and Engineering. Early on he introduced the United States to the gage standard and brought the manufacture of precision gage blocks to the U.S.
He instituted the finest apprentice training program for the training of skilled trade journeymen in the 1920’s as he was an apprentice himself!!!! The program was discontinued shortly after his death, He developed some of the finest educational textbooks to this day in the textbooks used in his trade school.
He pioneered the development of the automated maching transfer line with the U.S. machine tool companies.
Two of his philisophies were that “All things can be done faster and better!!!! (More economically) And
“The greatest gift a man can receive is the opportunity to do something for himself”
In 1938 he made all of the components in his car including the light bulbs.
He also developed the raido beacon direction finder used in the aircraft industry today.