The Great Gatsby

There were several people responsible for shaping the political, social, and economic structures in the United States during the twentieth century, one person being Henry Ford. Henry Ford has influenced the automobile industry in an outstanding way.

The early twentieth century marked a dramatic change in the economy of the United States. Businesses and industries began to grow everywhere around the United States. Along with this new factories came new jobs, which lured in many people from all parts of the world. Immigrants from Europe came to the United States looking for job opportunities as well as farmers from the south. These people were also looking for religious, economic and social freedoms. Immigrants, along with others, made the majority of the poor population. These people, who worked in the factories, had long workdays and were paid very little. The average worker made between two hundred and 400 dollars per year. (Downey 10). Millions of workers who lived in New York City were crowded into small apartments known as “tenements”. These tenements were rundown and filled with disease. Families had to fit everything they owned in basically the one room they were given. People were working very hard just to earn enough money to survive. But others however were experiencing the rewards of the industry. Henry Ford was a man in the automobile industry and is still known world-wide today for his outstanding achievements.

The date of July 30th, 1863 brought us Henry Ford, whose achievements changed the lifestyle of our nation in the 20th century. Henry Ford was born on a forty acre farm near Greenfield village(now Dearborn), Michigan. (Lobb 36). The names of

Kerman2

his parents were William and Mary Ford. Henry Ford began attending school at the age of seven. He wasn’t alone as he had 7 siblings with him. Henry was to restless to be a good student. He struggled in reading and spelling but was very good at math. After school everyday, Henry would go home to do daily chores on the farm. He disliked farming, later saying, “considering the results there is altogether too much work”. (Lobb 36). After 8 years of school, Ford was 16 years of age and walked to Detroit to find work in machine shops. Throughout a period of 3 years he came in contact with the internal combustion engine. He then used this engine on a farm for a “farm locomotive”, a tractor that used the homemade steam engine for power. Nine years of working on the farm, he returned to Detroit a married man. His wife was Clara Bryant who he married in 1888. They had one son called Edsel Bryant. After he had his son, he worked at several machine jobs and learned all about the business. By 1896 he had made a horseless carriage called the “quadricycle”. It was called this because it only had four horsepower on four bicycle wheels. None of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for his mother and Thomas Edison who were major role models in his life. “Only