Hmmmm. This distinct sound of the conveyor belts running inside the automobile factory was audible from the outside. This conveyor belt helped companies, specifically the Ford Motor Company, mass produce products. Henry Ford first equipped the conveyor belt in his factory on December 1, 1913, effectively creating the first assembly line where many workers were given, small simple jobs to complete on each product instead of seeing an item from start to finish in production. Henry Ford amassed a generous amount of wealth because of the new method of production. Some may consider him a Robber Baron, an industrialist who prospered while exploiting the very workers that produced his fortunes. While others consider Ford to be a Captain of Industry,
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Raised on a farm outside of Dearborn, Michigan, hard work was not a foreign concept to the young Ford. However, he was not fulfilled by his agricultural work. In 1888, at 28 years of age, he moved his wife, Clara, to Detroit to join the Edison Illuminating Company. It was here that Ford was encouraged, by Thomas Edison, to pursue his dream of building a horseless carriage. After a couple failed ventures, Ford Motor Company is incorporated on June 16, 1903 and begins to build its first car, the Model A. Incorporating ideas from Frederick Taylor’s book, The Principles of Scientific Management, and concepts from the meat packing industry, Ford revolutionized the manufacturing industry by utilizing interchangeable parts, assembly line organization, and vertical integration. His Model T, or Tin Lizzie, first produced in 1908 and was the pinnacle of his success. By 1922, over half the cars on American roads were Ford’s Model T. However, by the late 1920s, the taste for more fashionable cars caused the Model T sales to decline to such levels that Ford was forced to shut down its production. Ford designed a new car with a familiar name, the Model A. Its sales were respectable, but nowhere near the success enjoyed by its predecessor. Ford introduced his last great automobile innovation in 1932, the V8 engine. Ford passed away on April 7, 1947, from a cerebral hemorrhage in Dearborn, …show more content…
With the financial success of the Model T, Ford chose to share his company’s profits with his workers through profit sharing. He also raised the minimum wage to $5 per eight-hour work shift from the previous rate of $2.34 for a nine-hour shift. Ford also believed in the marriage of rural and urban communities. He built Village Industries, which were smaller manufacturing factories where farmers could work during different seasons and still enjoy agriculture. Ford erected schools throughout the country that educated individuals using modern teaching methods and a hands-on approach. By implementing his industrial revolutions, a new social class, the middle class, arose from the ranks of poverty. Ford provided this class with a steady income, shorter work day, safer working environment and access to an education.
Not all of his accomplishments, however, were viewed as positive. Critics argued the assembly line work was detrimental to an employee’s self-esteem. The work was boring and tedious and the employee was not allowed to enjoy seeing the final product. When investors voiced concerns to Ford regarding the decline of sales of the Model T, Ford refused to listen to them and promptly bought their company shares to silence
Raised on a farm outside of Dearborn, Michigan, hard work was not a foreign concept to the young Ford. However, he was not fulfilled by his agricultural work. In 1888, at 28 years of age, he moved his wife, Clara, to Detroit to join the Edison Illuminating Company. It was here that Ford was encouraged, by Thomas Edison, to pursue his dream of building a horseless carriage. After a couple failed ventures, Ford Motor Company is incorporated on June 16, 1903 and begins to build its first car, the Model A. Incorporating ideas from Frederick Taylor’s book, The Principles of Scientific Management, and concepts from the meat packing industry, Ford revolutionized the manufacturing industry by utilizing interchangeable parts, assembly line organization, and vertical integration. His Model T, or Tin Lizzie, first produced in 1908 and was the pinnacle of his success. By 1922, over half the cars on American roads were Ford’s Model T. However, by the late 1920s, the taste for more fashionable cars caused the Model T sales to decline to such levels that Ford was forced to shut down its production. Ford designed a new car with a familiar name, the Model A. Its sales were respectable, but nowhere near the success enjoyed by its predecessor. Ford introduced his last great automobile innovation in 1932, the V8 engine. Ford passed away on April 7, 1947, from a cerebral hemorrhage in Dearborn, …show more content…
With the financial success of the Model T, Ford chose to share his company’s profits with his workers through profit sharing. He also raised the minimum wage to $5 per eight-hour work shift from the previous rate of $2.34 for a nine-hour shift. Ford also believed in the marriage of rural and urban communities. He built Village Industries, which were smaller manufacturing factories where farmers could work during different seasons and still enjoy agriculture. Ford erected schools throughout the country that educated individuals using modern teaching methods and a hands-on approach. By implementing his industrial revolutions, a new social class, the middle class, arose from the ranks of poverty. Ford provided this class with a steady income, shorter work day, safer working environment and access to an education.
Not all of his accomplishments, however, were viewed as positive. Critics argued the assembly line work was detrimental to an employee’s self-esteem. The work was boring and tedious and the employee was not allowed to enjoy seeing the final product. When investors voiced concerns to Ford regarding the decline of sales of the Model T, Ford refused to listen to them and promptly bought their company shares to silence