How Did Henry Ford Affect The Economy In The 1920's

The roaring twenties was a time of dramatic social and political change that occurred throughout the United States, allowing for some of the greatest businessmen to rise to the top. Henry Ford was one of America's most notable businessman and founder of the Ford Motor Company who is responsible for the creation of mass-production in America's economy. Ford revolutionized the industrial world, innovated labor and production, and remained outspoken in the political realm. By the age of sixteen, Ford had grown an interest in mechanical objects rather than in farming. Building a kerosene-fueled steam tractor but ditched the idea because of “the danger of explosives with the fuel or the boiler” (Wren 2). Ford decided to attend a speech by

This success and innovation put lots of pressure on their competitors to catch on to this mass production method. As soon as the Model T was well known, the plant received more orders than they could manage. The techniques used to master the art of large production included “the use of large production plants; standardized, interchangeable parts, and the moving assembly line” (A&E Television Networks 2). The mass production helped cut time required to create the car; therefore, allowed the cost to stay small. The wage was set as an industry standard of an eight hour day for five dollars. By 1920, Ford had bought out all the minority stockholders. Ford decided to move the production to a huge industrial complex that served as an assembly, as well as a glass factory and steel mill. This allowed for the release of the Model A and featured improved horsepower and brakes. Henry Ford managed to open new plants and operations around the world. Sadly the Model A deemed to be a failure, allowing for the outsale by Plymouth and Chevy eventually leading to its discontinuation in 1931. Ford managed to establish the earliest v-8 engine, but Ford had placed third in sales in the industry. The company struggled a battle against unification of workers and refused to settle with the United Automobile Workers [UAW]. Ford even went as far as discontinuing the company to avoid the confrontation of UAW and to get out of