Henry Ford Biography Essay Example

Known as “Crazy Henry”, Henry Ford has been a major influence in the advancements of automobiles. Growing up just outside of Detroit, Henry Ford lived on a farm with his parents and 4 siblings. He worked hard at everything ever since he was young, always wanting to accomplish something better. His experiences , and the drive to improve helped him gain so much success, once saying “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”  (“Henry Ford, Britannica Academic”) 

Before he revolutionized the automobile industry, Ford was just a young farm boy fascinated by cars and machinery. Born in 1863, Ford started working young, helping his father on the farm when not in his one room school  (“Henry Ford, Britannica Academic”). As Ford grew up, he expanded his interests, moving away from farming. One thing Ford gravitated to was machinery. At the age of 16, he went to Detroit, looking for work in the field of mechanics. Due to the high rent, and the low pay, Ford fixed watches to be able to afford staying in Detroit (“Henry Ford, Encyclopedia Of World Biography”). This is when he first saw the internal combustion engine. He returned to the farm a few years later, where he, “worked part-time for the Westinghouse Engine Company and in spare moments tinkered in a little machine shop he set up” (“Henry Ford, Britannica Academic”). Henry working in this job gave him the opportunity to learn about mechanics and find where his interests lay in them. Henry’s father offered 40 acres of timberland for Ford to give up mechanics, but instead, Ford accepted and built a first class workshop on the land. (“Henry Ford, Encyclopedia Of World Biography”). 

Over time, Ford Started getting progressively more successful in the building of machines. When Henry was 19, the text states, “he built a small ‘farm locomotive,’ a tractor that used an old mowing machine for its chassis and a homemade steam engine for power” (“Henry Ford, Britannica Academic”). Being the first locomotive built by Ford, it started him on the path of automobiles. Ford kept working with machines, then around 1988, after marrying Clara Bryant, he moved back to Detroit. He had his kid, Edsel Bryant, in November, 1893, and a month later, he became the chief engineer of Detroit Edison Company (“Henry Ford, Britannica Academic”). This barely touched Ford’s potential, but just shows his improvement in the machine industry. In 1896, Ford finished his first car, already changing the standards, having the car weigh less than others. He also differed from his competitors, because he decided to sell the car to fund the making of the next, improved design (“Henry Ford, Britannica Academic”). Ford’s first real presence in the Automotive industry was when he built several race cars, some breaking records. In 1903, he left the Henry Ford Company, and after an abundance of time, he decided that he was ready to market a car. At this time, cars were a luxury for the rich, but in Ford's mind, they should be low priced and for the masses. After very little time, Ford went to court with the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers because he wasn't licensed. This case took over 6 years, and Ford lost at first in 1909, then appealed and won in 1911. When announcing the Model T, Ford claimed, “I will build a motor car for the great multitude” (“Henry Ford, Britannica Academic”). After about 19 years, the Model T put Ford on top of the Industrial business. He ended up selling over 16,750,000 in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. (“Henry Ford, Britannica Academic”). 

Throughout the years, Henry Ford created a legacy for himself unlike any others, creating machines, and changing the world in many different ways. One significant change, most likely unintentional, was the removal of horses in everyday life. Allowing farmers to have more space to farm crops other than wheat allowed the population to rise. Also, the introduction of automobiles into the lives of people other than the wealthy allowed people to travel farther, and live further away. People started to settle outside of cities and the growth of Suburbs began (“My Life and Work, Henry Ford”). Before any of this,  Ford first had to win the right to manufacture locomotives. Ford changed what was a monopoly, by winning the appeal in 1911 to remove the patents on things like the engine, and allow anyone to build cars. “His victory had wide implications for the industry, and the fight made Ford a popular hero” (“Henry Ford, Britannica Academic”). Ford's win started a legacy that will always be a part of history, but he did so much more than just that. In 1914, Ford changed the wage of all his workers. The average worker in the auto industry was paid less than $2.50, but ford started paying his workers an outstanding $5.00, even lowering the daily working time from nine to eight hours. Although Ford had lots of success, he had to start over many times for many reasons. One of these reasons was because his stockholders were upset with his business ways. By July of 1919, Ford, now owning the Ford Motor Company, bought out seven minority stockholders, making him the first to control such a large company. In the article, it states, “Never had one man controlled so completely a business enterprise so gigantic” (“Henry Ford, Britannica Academic”). As time went on, and Ford became more and more powerful, the company ended up being completely self-sufficient. One thing Ford is known for is his stubbornness, Whether it was not letting his workers unionize, or keeping the same model on the market while competitors kept innovating. But Ford’s legacy stretched far beyond automobiles. He built schools, and small factories in villages, restored rural towns, and built a museum filled with artifacts. One thing that is still relevant today is the Ford Foundation, now one of the richest privately owned foundations in the world. 

From a farm boy to a successful car manufacturer, Henry Ford made sure to make a name for himself, always working hard to get there. Ford died in 1947, leaving behind his revolutionized ways in the automobile industry. His life may have had some rough patches, whether it was conflicts with partners, or with his own father, but by the end, Henry Ford was a great businessman, worker, and overall, and outstanding man, leaving behind much more than just a brand.