| Patriotic Quotes
Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. What pity is it That we can die, but once to serve our country. Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it. Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. |
Henry Ford Posters
Henry Ford - The Great Automobile Manufacturer
 Henry Ford 18.00x24.00in. Poster |
 Ford, 1936 24.00x36.00in. Print |
 Antique Cars - Ford Model T, 1911 16.00x12.25in. Print |
 Ford Field 10.00x8.00in. Photograph |
Henry Ford was born July 30, 1863 in Wayne county, Michigan. He was the son
of Irish immigrants, William and Mary Ford, who had settled on a farm in
Dearborn. In addition to helping his father with the harvest, Ford also
attended school in a one-room schoolhouse. However, Ford disliked both
school and farm life, and at age 16, he walked to Detroit in search of
employment.
Ford was employed as an apprentice in a machine shop, where he learned about
the internal combustion engine. After several years of learning his trade,
Ford returned to the family farm and worked part-time for the Westinghouse
Engine Company. Ford set up a small machine shop on the farm and began
tinkering with engines and machines. During this time, Ford fell in love
with Clara Bryant, who he married in 1888.
Several years later, Ford and his wife moved back to Detroit when Ford was
made chief engineer at the Detroit Edison Company. The position required
Ford to be on-call 24 hours a day, but the irregular hours allowed him time
to experiment. He had experimented with gasoline-powered vehicles and
horse-less carriages for several years before his first vehicle was
completed. The "Quadricycle," a vehicle with a buggy frame mounted on four
bicycle wheels was completed in 1896. Ford sold the "Quadricycle" to raise
capital for more creations.
During the next several years, Ford continued to fine-tune his passenger
vehicles. In addition, he built racing cars and even drove them himself. In
1903, Ford produced an automobile he was ready to market, and he formed the
Ford Motor Company with capital from Detroit citizens. In 1908, Ford
introduced the successful Model T, which was manufactured for 19 years.
However, Ford's successes were not without problems. Soon after the
incorporation of the Ford Motor Company, Ford was threatened by the
Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers. After years of legal
battles, Ford won his case in 1911, which made it possible for more people
to become automobile manufacturers.
Ford was able to market the Model T to the general public because of his
advanced production technology. The Ford Motor Company's plant in Highland
Park, Michigan, Ford introduced the first assembly line in 1913, which
drastically reduced production time. As a result, more automobiles were made
available at a lower cost. Ford also instituted the $5.00/day minimum wage,
which he claimed increased productivity.
However, not everyone was impressed with Ford's business practices, and in
1917, he was sued by his stockholders for diverting profits into company
expansion. Although the court ruled in favor of the stockholders, by 1920,
Ford was able to buy them out. He built a huge plant in River Rouge, and the
company became almost entirely self-sufficient.
In 1926, Ford began losing sales to General Motors because the Model T was
becoming outdated. The Ford plants were shut down for five months, after
which Ford introduced the Model A and later the V-8. Both models received
moderate success but were outsold by General Motors and Chrysler.
The problems Ford Motor Company encountered can be attributed to Ford's
stubborn and authoritarian management style. Although Ford's only child
Edsel had been named president in 1919, his father remained in strict
control. When General Motors and Chrysler signed contracts with the United
Automobile Workers, Ford refused to follow suit. He employed spies and
company police to prevent his workers from unionization. Ultimately, Ford
was persuaded to sign a contract with the UAW in 1941.
Ford's son Edsel died in 1943, and Ford resumed the presidency. However, he
had experienced two strokes by that time, and two years later handed over
the presidency to his grandson, Henry Ford II. Ford died at his home on
April 7, 1947.