Henry Ford Accomplishments

Henry Ford was regarded as one of the most influential people in the modern industrial age. Ford was born on July 30, 1863, in Springwell Township, Michigan. From a young age, Ford showed interest in engineering and mechanics. By the time Henry was fifteen, he began working on a steam engine. He worked for many companies before founding the Ford Motor Company in 1900 in Detroit, Michigan. Ford revolutionized labor history with the $5/hour wage and 8 hour work week and modern industry through car manufacturing. Before the industrial revolution, labor consisted mostly of farming and trades. During feudalism in the Middle Ages, for example, laborers were known as “serfs”. Serfs worked mostly as farmers for a person known as a “vassal” in return for crops and protection. Vassals promised to fight and serve for their lord in return for land to grow their crops. This system resulted in less social movement and freedom for serfs. Employment during this time was mostly based on the social status of the laborer’s family in their

Ford left a lasting mark on the automobile industry, manufacturing and labor. Ford’s use of the assembly line capitalized on a new way to produce cars and make them more available to the average American. This technique resulted in the mass production not only of automobiles but many other goods in American industry, including food production and electronics. Ford not only contributed to the advancement of manufacturing and production, he also played a major part in labor history. He introduced the five-day work week, minimum wages, and the importance of workplace conditions. The Ford Foundation, one of the largest influential organizations in the world. This organization continues to serve on social welfare. Ford contributed to social welfare, production and the automobile process, which has continued to have an impact on our society. Henry’s ideas and processes continue to change people's lives around the