Biography of Henry Ford Essays - Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion

Biography of Henry Ford Henry Ford was one of the most brilliant entrepreneurs in creating the automobile assembly line, it was his controversial characteristics and unorthodox approach towards administrating the Ford Motor Company which resulted in the conglomeration of one of the most successful corporations in the world. At the turn of the century everything was booming! The growth of the economy and stock market increased the job opportunities as well as morals. As a result of this industrial revolution, out of the woodwork came a humble yet driven man, Henry Ford. Between the five dollar/day plan, his policies on administrating the company, and his relations with his customers, Ford was often presented as a suspicious character. This controversial behavior epitomized the success of the company, it did not lead to his own downfall as many suspect. The Anti-Semitic accusations, and the belief that Ford was taking advantage of his customers, were by far overshadowed by his brilliance and strong hand in running his company. Of course, there were not always supporters of Henry Ford. If fact, there were many critics, critics who believed that Henry Ford was so controversial that it prevented the potential of Fords from becoming greater than it is today. By the mid twenties the Fords was already the worlds most successful automobile company, but their great reputation would soon decline. Fords $5/day plan for all employees signified the overwhelming success of the company. Many believed this success was short-lived with the new policies dealing with the workers which soon followed. With the need to increase production and lower costs, in the mid 30s Ford cut all Ford workers wages in half. Workers were expected to work faster, and harder. Department heads were ordered to ban all talking and whistling while work was in progress. All of this was a ploy by Ford to make sure he knew every move of his workers, he was very possessive. Secondly, Ford began to fire older workers and hire younger workers. His ideology was that the younger workers could work more productively and more efficiently. Which in turn would send more money flowing into his pockets. What resulted was quite humorous in fact. Black hair dye became a hot seller in the Detroit area . Older workers tried to disguise their age by dying their hair black. Fords manipulation of his workers was immoral and unjust. There was no industrial democracy, workers were forced to do what they were told or would be out of a job. Henry Fords controversial behavior reflected badly on himself and on the Ford Motor Company. The Anti-Semitic views expressed by Henry Ford could never be denied. It was common knowledge in fact that Henry Ford was prejudice. He wrote an article in the Dearborn Independent expressing his ideas that Jews were the cause of many peoples problems. Henry Ford was sued by a man by the name Aaron Sapiro in the early 1930s. Sapiro had evidence that Ford threatened himself with Anti-Semitic sentiments. Ford was recorded as saying, Sapiro is a shrewd little Jew. The bible says Jews will return to Palestine, but they want to get all the money out of America first. Sapiro should be kicked out because he is trash.. The result of the trial was humiliation for the Ford company and Henry Ford himself. After a hung jury in the first trial, the case was dropped when Ford wrote a lengthy retraction and apologized for his statements. Fords was declining in profits and production among the worlds best. All as a result of Henry Fords ego. Thus, by 1931 Ford lowered in the ranks, controlling only 28% of the market 2nd to GM with 31%. Henry Ford was the godfather of the automobile industry in the early 1900s. The development of his River Rouge plant was considered a industrial Cathedral. Hundreds waited month after month in front of the employment building hoping to be hired. To foreign immigrants it meant hope and a successful future. The River Rouge plant employed over 50,000 employees. Pols, Lithuanians, Germans, almost every western Europe country could be represented at the Ford Plant. Like a father Henry Ford began educational programs, teaching his illiterate employees how