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Henry Ford is Born
Henry Ford was born in Dearborn Michigan to become the first born of six children. His parents were William and Mary Ford, and they lived rural family farm. The picture of Henry Ford is him as a 2 year old. Depsite spending his childhood doing farm labor and chores, he disliked it and took an interest in early technology and machines. -
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Henry Ford Birth to Death
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Leaving the Farm
Ford was 16 when he left the farm, because he was unsatisfied with the work he was doing. So he left the farm to be an apprentice as machnist in Detroit. In the years he learned how to operate steam engines. -
Ford getting married
Ford had to return to farming in order to support his family. His wife, Clara Ala Bryant, and his son , Edsel. -
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Ford's Work as an Engineer
Henry Ford became an engineer after joining the Edison Illuminating Company. Still libing in Detroit, he was later promoted to cheif engineer two years lator in 1893 After becoming cheif engineer, he was able to focus more on combustion engines.
One of the results of his combustion engine experiments was the Quadricycle. The Quadricycle had four wheels, and the steering wheel was a tiller. Although this invention of his got him no fame or money, it was one of the early motorized car in the U.S. -
Inventing the Quadricycle
See "Becoming an Engineer" for more info. -
Creating the Ford Company
Henry Ford started the Ford motors company as cheif engineer and vice-president in 1903. However, the company could only make a few cars every day. -
The first Model T
In 1903 Henry Ford quoted,"I will build a car for the great multitude." In October 1908 he did just that, and kept his promise, and built the first Model-T. He made the cost $950, cheap for the first one to be invented. But as the years past, the price dipped as low as $280, but he sold a lot of model T's that is he sold 15,500,000 of Model T's. -
The Assembly Line
Ford invented the Assembly Line, and in order to persuade his workeers to continue to work, he doubled the wages, and cut the working time by one hour. So the nine hours went to eight hours. They were working 24 hours a day sot he progress was rapid. -
Model T Success
At this point in time, of all of the cars in the United States, half of them were Model Ts. -
Death in the Fords
Before Ford himself that suffered death, was his only son. Edsel Ford. In 1888, his son died of cancer in May 1943. But later Henry Ford suffered from cerebral hemorrage in Fairlane, Dearborn Estate. He surrendered his presidency to his grandson Henry Ford II in Sept. 1945.
