FREE ESSAY ON HENRY FORD

HENRY FORD

The Life and Achievements of: Henry Ford
Period 4/5
Mr. Cline
Henry Ford was born near Dearborn, Michigan, on July 30, 1863. His mother died while he
was 12 years old. As an early teenager he helped on the family farm in summer and in
winter he attended a one-room school. Watches and clocks fascinated Ford. He went around
the countryside doing repair work without pay, doing it just to have the chance to fiddle
around with machinery. At the age of 16 Ford walked to Detroit and became a mechanic's
apprentice. He worked hard, and made $2.50 cents a week. His board was $3.50, so he
worked four hours every night for a watchmaker for two dollars a week. In 1884 he took
charge of a farm his father gave to him. From 1888 to 1889 he was a mechanical engineer,
and later chief engineer, with the Edison Illuminating Company. Automobiles were his
thing, and good things were awaiting Ford.
In 1896, after experimenting for years in his leisure hours, he completed the
construction of his first automobile, the Quadri cycle. He built it in a little shed
behind his home. It had a two-cylinder engine over the rear axle that developed four
horsepowers, a single seat fitted in a boxlike body, an electric bell for a horn, and
steering lever instead of a wheel. 
In 1899 Ford helped organize the Detroit Automobile Company, which built cars to order.
Henry's goal was to build in quantity at a price within the reach of many. His partners
objected, and Ford quit. He kept studying cars then he hit it big time.
In 1903 Henry Ford organized the Ford Motor Company with only $28,00 raised in cash. This
money came from 11 other stockbrokers. Fords company was a huge success. In 1908 the Ford
company initiated production of the Model T. The Model T was a Hit. One of the Eleven
stockbrokers decided in 1919 that he wanted out of the company. He put in $2,500 into the
company to start it up, and when he got out he received more than $35,000,000 dollars.
Over 15 million cars were sold until it was discontinued in 1927. It was known as the
universal car. 
New and better things were upcoming for Ford. He put out a new more favored up to date
model to meet growing competition called the Model A. Early automobile manufacturers
merely bought automobile parts and assembled the cars. He acquired iron and coal mines,
forests, mills, and factories, to produce and shape his steel alloys, his fuel, wood,
glass, and leather. He built railroad and steamship lines and an airplane freight service
in order to transport his products.
In 1913 Ford began using standardized interchangeable parts and assembly line techniques
in his plant. Mass production was Ford's main idea, and he replaced men with machines
wherever possible. Each task, which he did repeatedly until it became automatic.
Conveyors brought the job to the man instead of having the man waste time going to the
job. To cut shipping costs, parts were shipped from the main plants in the Detroit area
and assembled into cars at branch plants. He is known for creating the idea of the
assembly line. Less work and quicker production of each car.
Within in the upcoming years, Ford's dominance over the other automobile manufacturers
declined. He was slow to adopt the practice of introducing a new model of an automobile
each year, which became standard in the industry. During the 1930's Ford adopted the idea
of the yearly changeover, but his company was unable to regain the position of which it
had.
In 1937 to 1941 the Ford company encountered problems because it was the only major
manufacturer of automobiles in the Detroit area that had not recognized any labor unions
as the collective bargaining agreement necessary for employees. At hearings before the
National Labor Relations Board Ford was found guilty of repeated violations of the
National Labor Relations Act. Ford was forced to negotiate a standard labor contract
after a successful strike by the workers at his main plant at River Rogue, Michigan, In
April 1941. This forcing Ford to make changes that he didn't want to make.