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Henry Ford Facts & Worksheets

Henry Ford was an American industrialist famous for founding Ford Motor Company and developing the mass production assembly line.

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Henry Ford was an American industrialist famous for founding the Ford Motor Company and developing the mass-production assembly line. He lived during the 19th and 20th centuries and was responsible for bringing cars to everyday American households who previously couldn’t afford to buy one.

See the fact file below for more information on Henry Ford or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Henry Ford worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

  • Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, in Springwells Township in Wayne County, Michigan, to a prosperous farming family. 
  • He was the oldest of six children, four of whom were boys and two of whom were girls. His father, William Ford, was a farmer. His mother was named Mary Litogot-Ford.
  • Henry Ford was fascinated by mechanics from a young age. When he reached the age of 12, he spent most of his free time working in a small mechanical workshop he had built himself.
  • However, he was uninterested in school and was a poor student. He never learned to spell or read properly and would only write in the most basic of sentences.
  • Instead of studying, he preferred to work with mechanical objects, especially watches. At the age of thirteen, he repaired his first watch and continued to do so for fun throughout his life. 
  • Although he disliked working on the farm, he learned the importance of working hard and being responsible.

CAREER

  • Ford left home at the age of 16 for the nearby city of Detroit, where he found assistant work as a machinist in 1879. Ford’s father, on the other hand, wanted him to give up machinery and be a farmer, so he tried to offer him forty acres of timberland in exchange. 
  • Ford accepted the proposal and proceeded to construct a first-rate machinist’s workshop on the property. This disappointed his father.
  • After three years, he returned to Dearborn to take a job on the family farm but continued to operate and service steam engines on the side, as well as work in Detroit factories. He met Clara Bryant, who became his wife in 1888.
  • For the first several years of their marriage, Ford and his new wife were supported by running a sawmill. He left the farm permanently in 1891 and moved to Detroit with Clara to work as an engineer for Edison Illuminating Company.
  • Ford worked for hours in his efforts to create a gasoline-powered horseless carriage or automobile. 
  • In 1896, he finished his first car invention known as a “Quadricycle,” which was a light metal frame equipped with four bicycle wheels and operated by a two-cylinder, four-horsepower gas engine.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY

  • Due to Ford’s determination to improve his prototype, he sold the Quadricycle in order to continue producing other vehicles. 
  • On August 19, 1899, Ford left Edison Illuminating Company to pursue his car-making business full-time, using funds raised from investors after the development of a third model car. 
  • He established his first company, Detroit Automobile Company, which went into bankruptcy about 18 months later.
  • After a few failed attempts at building automobiles and businesses, Ford founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903.
  • His first venture for the new company was the two-cylinder Model A, which debuted in 1903 and had a top speed of 30 miles per hour and an output of 8 horsepower.
  • In 1908, he introduced the Model T, also known as the “Tin Lizzie,” which became an instant success. It was $825, and most Americans could afford it. 
  • As a result, the vehicle became the most popular series car at the time. Its glory lasted until 1927 when it was replaced by a new model, the Model A.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

  • In 1908, the company’s first overseas sales outlet was opened in Paris. In 1911, Ford opened the industry’s first branch assembly plant in the United States in Kansas City, Missouri, and the company’s first overseas manufacturing unit in Manchester, England. 
  • In 1908, the company’s first overseas sales outlet was opened in Paris. By the end of the 1920s, Ford had more than 20 international production lines in Europe, Latin America, Canada, Asia, South Africa, and Australia, and more than 500,000 Model Ts were on the world’s roads by mid-1914.
  • During this period of rapid expansion, Ford adhered to two core principles: cutting costs through increased productivity and paying high wages to his employees. 
  • In terms of production methods, Ford believed that work should be brought to the worker at waist level by a conveyor belt.
  • Ford introduced the first moving assembly line for the mass production of automobiles in 1913.
  • This new technique reduced the time required to build a car from 12 hours to two and a half hours, lowering the price of the Model T from $850 in 1908 to $310 by 1926 for a greatly improved model.

OTHER ENDEAVORS

  • Ford was a staunch pacifist who campaigned against World War I, even providing funds for a peace ship to Europe. 
  • By increasing productivity, Henry Ford and other manufacturers stimulated the American economy. They also raised living standards by establishing more high-paying jobs. 
  • It is critical to emphasize that Ford employed a concept centered on the mass production of low-cost goods and high worker wages. Other manufacturers quickly followed. This concept was dubbed Fordism by observers.

LEGACY AND LATER YEARS

  • Ford and his family later established the Ford Foundation in 1936 to provide ongoing grants for research, education, and development. 
  • When Henry Ford resigned from the presidency for the second time in September 1945, he recommended that his grandson, Henry Ford II, be elected. His recommendation was followed by the board of directors.
  • Henry Ford was honored for his significant contributions to the automotive industry at the Automotive Golden Jubilee in 1946. 
  • In July of that year, 50,000 people cheered for him at a massive 83rd birthday party in Dearborn.
  • Later that year, the American Petroleum Institute bestowed upon him its first Gold Medal annual award for exceptional contributions to humanity’s welfare.
  • Henry Ford laid the groundwork for the twentieth century. The assembly line became the century’s signature manufacturing method, eventually being applied to everything from phonographs to hamburgers.
  • Ford’s pioneering of high-wage, low-skilled factory jobs accelerated both immigration from abroad and the movement of Americans from farms to cities.
  • He wrote My Life and Work in 1922, Today and Tomorrow (1926), and Moving Forward in 1930 with Samuel Crowther, which described the development of Ford Motor Company and highlighted his industrial and social theories. 
  • Henry Ford died on April 7, 1947, at the age of 83, at his home, Fair Lane Estate in Dearborn, at 11:40 p.m. Clara Ford and members of their household staff sat by his bedside. 
  • Flooding on the Rouge River, which runs through Fair Lane’s grounds, had cut off power at the time of his death. 
  • The only sources of light in the house were old-fashioned kerosene lamps and candles, resulting in a setting similar to his birth in the exact same county many years before.

Henry Ford Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Henry Ford across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Henry Ford worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Henry Ford, an American industrialist famous for founding the Ford Motor Company and developing the mass-production assembly line. 

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Henry Ford Facts
  • Pacifist
  • Think Like Henry
  • Ford Through the Years
  • Running a Company
  • Color My Ford
  • Innovation 101
  • Design My Ford!
  • Owning a Car
  • My Big Goal
  • Henry Ford Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Henry Ford?

Henry Ford was an American industrialist, inventor, and founder of the Ford Motor Company. He is known for revolutionizing the automobile industry by introducing mass production techniques and making automobiles affordable to the general public.

What is Henry Ford’s most notable contribution to the automotive industry?

Henry Ford’s most notable contribution was the development and implementation of the assembly line production method. This innovation drastically increased efficiency and reduced manufacturing costs, making cars more affordable and accessible to a wider range of people.

When did Henry Ford introduce the Model T, and what significance did it have?

Henry Ford introduced the Model T, also known as the “Tin Lizzie,” in 1908. It was the first mass-produced automobile designed for the average consumer. The Model T’s affordability and durability played a pivotal role in making cars a common mode of transportation and transforming society’s mobility.

How did Henry Ford impact workers and labor practices?

Ford is also known for implementing the concept of the “Five Dollar Day” in 1914, which significantly increased the wages of his workers. This move not only improved the lives of his employees but also allowed them to afford the very cars they were producing. Ford’s actions influenced labor practices and set an example for fair wages in the industry.

What was Henry Ford’s role in innovation and technology?

In addition to his contributions to automotive manufacturing, Ford had a keen interest in technology and innovation. He supported research and development efforts, and he introduced groundbreaking ideas such as soy-based plastics and biofuels. He also played a role in advancing aviation by establishing the Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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