Who was and what did Henry Ford do? Summary of Henry Ford's life
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, born in Wayne County, Michigan, in 1863. He was known for his pioneering in the automobile industry.
Ford dropped out of school at age 15, moved to Detroit and began working as an apprentice in a machine shop. Before becoming an entrepreneur, however, Henry Ford worked for Westinghouse, where at age 19 he built his first gasoline engine.
Life and Career of Henry Ford
The businessman became famous after founding the Ford Motor Company and introducing mass production of automobiles to the company, a phenomenon that became known worldwide as Fordism.
In addition to being a great industrialist, Ford also stood out as a brilliant inventor, owning 161 patents.
Ford was also responsible for creating the franchise system, spreading branches of his company across several continents.
Henry Ford became a reference in the way he treated his employees. He reduced working hours and encouraged his employees with successive salary increases and shareholding in the company.
Ford also worked on the construction of aeronautical engines for planes used in the First World War and published three books: My Life and Work (1922), Today and Tomorrow (1926) and Philosophy of Work (1929).
The businessman died in Dearborn, Michigan, on April 7, 1947, when he was 83 years old.
