Henry Ford: What a Man

     US History in the late 19th to very early 20th century might seem a bit boring. Back in my latter elementary years, we learned about the Civil War, its effects, and jumped directly to World War 1. Many people, such as me in the past, had no interest in what was taking place in this era, but this era was the start of something huge, something revolutionary in the US. Arguably, this era was what made this nation the most productive overall in the world. This was because less than one percent  of the United States population took a couple of risks and in doing so became one of the richest men of all time. In this time in history big business tycoons emerged. This extravagant list contained 6 of the top 10 richest men to ever live according to Forbes. This list, which its anyone's dream to be a part of, includes John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, W.H. Vanderbilt, Andrew Mellon, Henry Ford, and Cornelius Vanderbilt. Of this list, one man made a big change in the history of how corporations work, that man was Henry Ford.

Henry Ford in his earlier days
HFMGV

     Look out the window, I guarantee you will see a vehicle produced by Ford Motors and Co. This is because Henry Ford, back in 1907 took an idea that would change mankind forever. Henry Ford was one of eight children born in Dearborn, Michigan. His D.O.B. was July 30, 1863, falling a day before I was born (not year, I'm not that old). Fast forward to 1903 and he created one of the most successful motor industries in the world named Ford Motors. Through this company he established a type of production known as the assembly line. From this each worker was responsible of doing one part, rather than building a whole vehicle independently. This significantly reduced costs for an already wallet friendly vehicle known as the Model T. He effectively, through the assembly line, reduced the price of the Model T from $850 to an amazing $250. Doing this, the Model T became a catalyst for a changing industry. Through this innovation, today anything can be mass produced. At the age of 52, Henry Ford became both the richest and most popular person in the States. 

      His industrial success made came with its struggles. In the early part of the 20th century, Henry Ford was involved in a 6 year court battle with the Association of Licensed Automobile manufacturers. Through this experience, Henry became known to fight for what he believed in, even if it did not do good to both parties. His relationships with people who he did not like was interesting. He, in order to harass the Jews, in 1918 bought the Dearborn International newspaper. For weeks he, in the paper, publishes attacks at international Jews. His brooding character against kinds was not much appreciated, but it was what it was. He even pledged to give some of  his money to stop the US from helping, both physically and financially, countries who were involved in conflict. Henry Ford was much egotistical and did not always think about others.

     Henry Ford had some major accomplishments in his life. He, in being very rich, is much recognized today. We all look outside and get to see our fair share of Ford produced trucks, sedans, and even police cars. Ford created the Model T and made a vehicle for the masses,  made production miracles, but also in the end he was the poor man's rescue.

University of Hanover
University of Detroit Mercy
Massachusetts Institute of Technology