Henry Ford: Assembly Line For Mass Production

In the early 1900’s Henry Ford developed the idea of “a wagon that will run without a horse”.1 This idea and Ford’s success changed America and its people forever. The development of the automobile played a tremendous role in the economy, labor unions and society. Generally, when most people think of Henry Ford they reflect upon his wealth and contributions to the transportation industry as an infinitely positive phenomenon. It is thought that aside from just allowing consumers to purchase and use his inventions, he provided thousands of people with jobs and the promise of prosperity. The tale of Henry Ford’s legendary business and remarkably effective assembly line is unparalleled in

In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the automobile was considered an expensive, custom made, consumer product that only the wealthy could afford to dazzle themselves with. In fact, in 1895 there was a report of only 300 cars in the United States, but that number grew dramatically in the years to come to nearly 1.7 million by 1914 (Car History, n.d.). This increase was due in part by two major shifts in the American society; the new consumer economy and the ideas that every family in America should be able to afford an automobile. Henry Ford was a large contributor to this massive increase in the United States and would make changes to the automobile industry that

(The graphic shows the mass production rate of cars by using an assembly line that could have required a larger work force) (Document 4). One method to manufacture a product that became very popular is the assembly line which made the rate of production per person much greater. It required

His invention of the assembly line made production go much smoother because each person was only in charge of one job. This allowed people who weren’t as educated to still contribute and earn a living. The assembly line was the first form of mass production and it was able to lower both the amount of time it took to produce things like cars, and the cost of the end products. The time it took to make an automobile went from 12 hours to 2 and a half hours, and the price dropped over $500, from $850 to $310, all in just 18 years. They also paid their workers $5 for an 8-hour day so they were able to keep loyal, hardworking employees. Not only were Model T’s now easy to produce, but they were also easy to repair if needed. Ford introduced standard interchangeable parts so, if a specific part of the car was out of whack, it could easily be replaced without having to take time to build a custom piece. All of these new innovations made things run much more efficiently, and Henry Ford is the one to thank. Without him, we most likely would not have been introduced to these new ways of production for a while, and in return our economy would not have been doing as well. The assembly line really helped to churn out products, which meant that the people were buying more and more products, boosting the economy. Henry Ford’s assembly line really benefited Americans by allowing uneducated people to earn a living, helping to produce more products much faster and in turn, helping the economy grow and

With the introductions of the Model T, the assembly line and the method of mass production created many new jobs. The Model T 's low price allowed everyone that was making a good salary to buy a car. It helped out society by giving people jobs especially at around this time when there was a lot of immigration in the United States and people needed jobs. "This vast production stimulated many other businesses: The steel, rubber, and glass industries flourished. Construction companies boomed as highways and garages were built. Oil companies, rapidly losing their kerosene business to the spread of electricity, more than made up for it with increased gasoline sales."(Gordon) As a whole it changed the economy at the time but in the long run it changed what society is today. It created mass production which is now our way of production and it changed all of working America with the numerous amounts of jobs it created. "As more Americans owned cars, urbanization patterns changed. The United States saw the growth of suburbia, the creation of a national highway system, and a population entranced with the possibility of going anywhere anytime." (http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blford.htm)

The assembly line was a big part in his life that help produced many Model T cars in little time. Ford help out with the people which were rich and even the poor. Ford help the poor be able to afford a car because back in the days, rich were the only people who were only able to afford them, these cars were expensive luxury to them. Ford was the first to produce a vehicle that everyone could afford this was a big help for the poor. Whenever Ford started producing many Model T cars, lots of them were sold mostly the entire world had one because it was so cheap. Henry Ford was a big help in the world he changed the lives of many people by making the first inexpensive vehicle. He also contributed to the world in a very helpful way. What Henry Ford did was built the vehicles for the World War 2 and that was big help in battle. I believe Henry Ford impacted the world very big if it wasn’t for him, the poor wouldn’t have a vehicle to drive. Henry Ford care for many people even the poor that he wanted to invent something for them, he wanted the poor to have what the rich people have. Ford was a great man and I think everybody should take a time and read about and his history, if it wasn’t for Ford the poor wouldn’t have a vehicle to

Machines running, hammers dropping, and drills drilling are the sounds of Henry Ford’s revolutionary assembly line. Henry Ford grew up in the late eighteenth century during the industrial revolution. There were no electric lights, only gas lamps and candles. Horses and trains were the only cost effective way of transportation for the public. When Henry Ford was a child, he saw a steam driven car on the road and was mesmerized. At this point, he knew he longed to become a mechanic that works on cars. At the age of sixteen, Henry Ford got a job as an apprentice machinist in Detroit at the Detroit Dry Dock Company. Three years later he returned to work on the family farm, and became adept at operating the

He had his workers work less, with more breaks, and he also payed them almost twice as much as other jobs. As Eric Foner states, “Ford paid the assembly line workers $5 a day when prevailing wages were about $2.50...he also reduced working hours to 8.” With this, workers were more likely to work harder and better, which led to more productivity. The productivity was not done alone, the infrastructure of the assembly line is very critical to the production process. This was done by, as Robert Sobel states,” ...conveyor belts in the assembly line that brought parts to the workers to perform their specific task.” All this improved the production rate and it satisfied the workers. Many may say the assembly line removed individuality, however it brought faster, better, and cheaper production to the Ford Motor Company.

A motor car for the great multitude a goal for Henry Ford(Schlager 593). In the 1920s, automobiles are rapidly changing the American lifestyle forever because of their affordability and also the development of new assembly technology to lower the cost. Technological innovations of assembly begin to expand and advance for the better throughout the 1920s, which impacts Americans and the people of the world today. Henry Ford, a bold figure during the 1920s, owner of Ford automobiles. His ideas and innovation like the assembly line forever changes the automobile and the way goods are produce. Although there are many technological advancement during the 1920s, the assembly line designed by

Ford Company faced the labor surplus because of its high cost structure and decreased in the demand of automobile. There was no work for all employees in the company but the ford paid salary and other benefit to all employee even there are not contributing and involving in the production. As there was decrease in sales of Ford automobile, they had surplus in their work force. Moreover they were unable to afford to keep all the employing paying their salary. They also had to bear financial loss. Hence they were eager to cut down their entire work force. (htt91)

     When you think about Ford, an automobile will usually come to mind. Most people don’t think about the man behind that name, Henry Ford. Henry Ford was the man responsible for the Ford Motor Company (FMC). He was also the creator of the invention that changed the mass production industry, the assembly line. As you read on you will learn about Henry Ford’s life, the FMC, and the assembly line.

In 1908 Henry Ford had constructed the Model T; the time it took him to create this automobile was 13 days. Now eager to achieve more, Ford knew that he needed a place to construct these cars. He also knew that to sell mass amounts he would have to sell cheap, and buy parts and supplies even cheaper (Douglas, 25). The construction of the first Ford Motor plant used the world’s only conveyer belt. This was part of the Fords plan to build fast, when he constructed the assembly line cars were pumped out in as fast as 15 minuets, this was down from 19 days. Ford was able to make the automobile a car for everyman, a working man with a family.

Initially at Ford motors, production used to take place by keeping the vehicle at one position and making the workers move in and about gathering the several parts together. This method unfortunately was a very tedious and time-consuming process. In view of this fact, Henry Ford appointed Taylor to monitor the operations taking place. Ford applied the scientific management

The newly independent United States was the “Pioneer in developing mass-production techniques” (p. 413), which revolutionized industry throughout the modern world. The assembly line, crafted by Henry Ford, as well as advanced mechanical devices exemplified by the steel industry lead to mass production of goods that was previously unfathomable.

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.