Henry Ford

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He was also the first employer who introduced higher daily wage for his workers of 5 dollars per day instead of $2.34 per day, which would be $110 in today’s market. The next day, thousands flooded Highland Park to apply for jobs. It was a good way to keep the best workers loyal to his company. The workers had an opportunity to buy a car for themselves at the cost of a production. One of his quotes is that “Paying good wages is not charity at all—it is the best kind of business.” The production of his Model T’s was enormous. More than 500,000 cars were traveling on the roads of the world by 1914. Ford had 57% of the U.S. market and 50% of the world market. Model T was simple to drive and cheap to repair, and more than half of all cars in America in 1918 were Model Ts.

By the end of the 1920’s Ford had more than twenty overseas assembly plants in Europe, Latin America, Canada, Asia, South Africa and Australia. According to Britannica.com “the Ford became the world’s most familiar make of car.” Since Ford loved to introduce new projects to the public, the last Model T and the new Model A was produced in 1927. At age 69 Ford introduced his last great invention, the lightweight, reasonably priced and more powerful V8 car.

“In 1917 Ford had constructed a bigger factory on the Rouge River in Dearborn, Michigan. Iron ore and coal were brought in on Great Lakes steamers and by railroad. By 1927, all steps in the manufacturing process from refining raw materials to final assembly of the automobile took place at the vast Rouge Plant, characterizing Henry Ford’s idea of mass production. In time it would become the world’s largest factory, making not only cars but the steel, glass, tires, and other components that went into the cars. ” (thehenryford.org)

Ford always hated war and did everything he could to keep the U.S. from taking sides during World War II in 1939. However, after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941 Ford Motor Company was one of the big US military contractors who supplied airplanes, engines, jeeps, and tanks.

The car provided the opportunity for many people to travel more and visit each other more often. It was the fastest and greatest change in the lives of the regular people in history, according to the Britannica encyclopedia. Far away farmers were not isolated anymore. The horses disappeared as a way of transportation in less than two decades. Because of that, the production of hay got to a minimum and farmers started to grow other crops that in turn caused an agricultural revolution. Also, a lot of people started to move closer to the cities, it spread out, causing new housing developments. All of those events were the reason we have such a fine highway system in the world now.

At the age of 83, Henry Ford died on April 7, 1947. He was a great innovator and America’s leading businessmen. He thought and believed in technology that would transform and improve people’s lives. He helped to build America’s economy during the depression years.

Works Cited

- "Ford Motor Company". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2016

- "Henry Ford". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2016

- “Henry Ford Biography”. The Biography.com editors. A&E Television Networks. n.d. Web. 21 April, 2016

- “Henry Ford. Founder, Ford Motor Company”. Copyright@2016 The Henry Ford. n.d. Web 21 April, 2016