preview

Henry Ford American Experience Analysis

Good Essays

When trying to make connections between democracy and capitalism, and how they play a role in our everyday society, looking closely at the emergence of a powerful company can be very informative. Throughout the documentary Henry Ford American Experience, we are introduced to the humble beginnings of the one well-known company in today’s society, the Ford Motor Company. With the in-depth account of the creator himself, Henry Ford and the focus on the labor practices used in his company, one can understand how the establishment came to be. It is said that the modern automobile is mainly credited to the work of the Germans and French during the late 1800s, but America during the early 20th century did have a period of work in the …show more content…

It created a better way of transportation, produced opportunities to new forms of leisure and added to the building up of the city. The Model T also added great success to the Ford Motor Company. Not only did Ford contribute his automobile, but he introduced ideas like the assembly line and through the popularity of the automobile built up industries like oil and rubber(American). Henry Ford was a man who contributed a lot to the people of his time, but not everyone felt the same way about him. Henry Ford was a man who came from a farming family in Michigan. He felt that the best people were the “simple, plain, hard-working people”(American). In all of his actions, we see him as a man who takes care of those like himself. However, the worst people were those who he felt were in control, in this case, the rich. In his eyes, the common man contributed the most to society.His love for the everyday people fueled his desire to help them live a better life, this can be seen in both positive and negative ways. For one Ford created the Model T to be affordable, at only $850 and of quality material, many ordinary people wanted and could afford to buy his cars. He also shorten the workday, from 9 to 8 hours, and gave workers better pay, a $5.00 wage increase(American). On the other hand, we see that he felt he knew what was best for people. To make sure workers were living proper American lives, the Ford Sociological Department, a division of the company used to pry

Get Access