How Did Henry Ford Change The World

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Henry Ford, born in Wayne County, Michigan, became interested in the mechanics of technology at the young age of 16. In 1896, Henry Ford created his very first vehicle, the Quadricycle. After more and more experiments with creating engines and moving vehicles, he created his first automobile. During this time, in the early 1900’s in America, automobiles were only owned and used by the rich. They were expensive, took long amounts of time to be made, complicated, and were not very durable nor sturdy (“Henry Ford Changes the World”). But after Henry Ford had some experience, he changed all of that. He certainly did not invent the automobile, but he reinvented the idea of them in a way that was attractive to all Americans. He is well known today…show more content…
Ford realized that if he created an automobile that was within the financial reach of his workers and he paid them well, they would be the main consumers. So, Henry Ford reduced the price of the Model T, but not the quality. Also, in 1914, Henry Ford increased his workers wages to five dollars for approximately an eight hour day. The normal pay at that time was two dollars and thirty four cents for a nine hour work day. This increase in pay made all of the employees very happy, so they would spend their high wages that they earned working for the Ford Motor Company to buy one or more Model T’s. Also, to ensure that the company’s employees would continue working for them, Henry Ford would share a portion of his profits with employees that were loyal and stayed with the company for more than six months. This encouraged the workers to do their job well and be loyal to the company. He also made sure that his workers lived their lives in responsible ways, so he ran backup checks on his workers. These backup checks consisted of drinking, gambling and other negative activities. These backup checks were made to guarantee that they would work hard when they were at the Ford Motor Company factories. This made the workers feel safe and happy, making them want to be with the Ford Motor Company for an even longer time. It was a cycle that kept the workers tied into the Ford Motor…show more content…
When other companies caught on to what Henry Ford was doing to be so successful, they began to use the same strategies, such as mass production methods and paying their workers well and ensuring that they are happy. Other companies such as General Motors and Chrysler Corporation began to catch up in this automotive competition. Henry Ford continued to create the Model T while the other companies began to create new, more modern automobiles. Even though these new automobiles were a bit more expensive, they were also much nicer. With the new booming economy, people could actually afford the new automobiles. So, people began to purchase the new, nicer versions of automobiles from companies other than the Ford Motor Company. Ford noticed a decline in the selling of the Model T. He tried to keep up with the other companies by creating a new automobile, the Model A. It was not very popular and did not sell abundantly like hoped, so it was soon replaced by a newer version, the V8 engine. The company was in such a downward spiral that even the release of the V8 engine did not help. By 1936, the Ford Motor Company was no longer the leading automotive company but now the third, behind General Motors and Chrysler Corporation (“The Henry Ford”). Even though Henry Ford created the most successful company during the 20th century, he

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