Henry Ford Biography | Animated Video | From Poverty to a Billionaire

Henry Ford From farm boy to American industrialist Born on February 17, 1963, Henry Ford went from a farm boy to American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company. In today's video, we'll be looking at the life of Henry Ford to use his life story to inspire young people who may be discouraged about life. We hope this video gives you the courage you need to believe in yourself and pursue your biggest dreams. If you're new here, consider subscribing so that you won't miss other interesting videos like this. Birth and Early Years Ford was born on a farm in Greenfield Township, Michigan to William Ford and Mary Ford as the oldest of four siblings. In 1876, a 13-year-old Ford received a gift from his father, a pocket watch. Tick after tick, the mechanical parts of this device consumed Ford's interest. He found himself spending more time studying and fixing his pocket watch than working around the farm. Soon, Ford began fixing the pocket watches and timepieces of his neighbors. He quickly gained a reputation as the community's watch repairman. It all lasted until his mother's death later that year. Quarrels Between Father and Son Three years after his mother's death, Ford continued to grow weary of farm work. He rejected his father's insistence on Ford's place as a farmer. The conflict sparked between father and son even when Ford declared his intentions to become a machinist apprentice in Detroit. Now 17 years of age, Ford left home and found apprenticeship among the shipbuilding firms of Detroit. For three long years, he worked himself to the bone servicing mechanical engines. In 1882, Ford returned home, where he continued his mechanical pursuits. He managed a sawmill. He overhauled his father's farm for mechanical farming. He occasionally got a job servicing Westinghouse Portable Steam Engines for Westinghouse Electric Company. On April 11, 1888, Ford married Clara Jane Bryant. The Ford Quadricycle In 1891, Ford started as an engineer in the Edison Illuminating Company. In less than two years, he advanced to chief engineer. The position afforded him more time and money to pursue his mechanical experiments while caring for his wife and newborn son, Edsel Ford. After several iterations of building and test driving various prototypes, Ford built his first vehicle in 1896, the self-propelled and gasoline-powered vehicle, the Ford Quadricycle, Detroit Automobile Company. Encouraged by the positive feedback from Thomas Edison, Ford resolved himself to build an improved version of the Ford Quadricycle in 1898. With the money raised from several investors, Ford resigned his job and founded the Detroit Automobile Company in 1899. Unfortunately, the production of low-quality yet high-cost cars dissatisfied him to the point he dissolved the company in 1901. Henry Ford Company Later that year, Ford successfully built and raced a 26-horsepower vehicle. His accomplishment excited investors from the dissolved Detroit Automobile Company. It was a matter of time before they reorganized the company with Ford. The new name? The Henry Ford Company. One of Ford's investors brought consultant and investor, Henry Leyland, for appraisal. At Leyland's suggestion of building a single-cylinder engine car, Ford left with his name and $900. With his departure, the Henry Ford Company became the Cadillac Automobile Company. Ford Motor Company With another group of investors, Ford started the Ford Motor Company in 1903. When he became its president in 1906, he declared his goal, creating motor cars for the great multitude. In 1908, Ford finally tasted his first major success after creating the four-cylinder gasoline-powered Model T. The Model T's sturdy and simple-to-drive design through tough roads became a favorite amongst the middle and lower class. The Model T outsold its competitors. Ford found himself concerned about the low quality of cars Ford Motor Company produced per day. He described the industry standard production as expensive, inefficient, and unlikely to meet increasing demand. After several years researching the automobile industry, Ford developed his innovation in 1913, or some might call it an improvement from an automobile assembly line from 1901. By simply adding a conveyor belt, Ford realized what is now known as a moving assembly line. This innovation relied on speed, continuous flow, and division of labor. Thus, each section of his workers would assemble a car one part at a time, rather than one car at a time. This efficient mass-production system saved costs and car assembly time. Its price dropped from $825, about $20,726 today, to $360, about $8,780 today. In 1914, Ford doubled his workers' wages to $5, $128 today, for each eight-hour workday. This and Ford's favorable labor policies brought the best Detroit workers flocking from far and near to Ford's company. Model T's sales reached 472,000 in 1916. By 1917, Ford began construction of the largest integrated factory in the world, the Ford River Road Complex. In due time, Ford's workers of middle and lower class appreciated Ford's time-saving innovations, allowing them to save enough wages and purchase the cars they assembled. Ford Airline Company During and after World War I, Ford diversified into the aircraft industry. He acquired the Stout Metal Plane Company in 1924. The company became a division of the Ford Motor Company in 1924. Amongst its manufactured planes, the Ford 4AT Trimodel succeeded the most. It became the first successful U.S. airliner that was made in flight on June 11, 1926. The Smithsonian Institution honored Ford for the Trimodel's design and its influence within the aviation industry. Although nearly half the cars driven in America were Model T's, Ford knew sooner or later his competition would catch up with mass-production techniques of their own. So, Ford and his son Edsel Ford worked together towards the Model T's successor. On December 1927, their work resulted in the launch of the Ford Model A. The Discontinuation of Ford Model A In 1931, General Motors Chevrolet and Plymouth Chrysler soon edged past Ford's Model A in sales. As a result, Ford Motor Company dropped from first to third amongst the B3 in automobile sales. Despite Ford's best efforts with the Model A's successors of Model B, Model 18, and Model 40, Ford Motor Company could not reclaim its number one spot for years to come. Things went from bad to worse for Ford's airplane company in 1933. The period of the Great Depression shut down whatever hope for the aircraft manufacturing company and its Trimodel planes. Battle of the Overpass Ford's progressive labor policies and innovation made him a model employer and model automobile manufacturer, but he refused to reorganize labor unions, believing them as bottlenecks to productivity and efficiency. His security often interfered with any attempt to unionize as much as possible. In 1937, the Battle of the Overpass happened, where Ford's security and the UAW organizers clashed at Ford River Rouge Complex in Nearborn, Michigan. Unionizing with the UWA After a sit-in strike in April 1941, the River Rouge plant was shut down. After prolonged pressure from the media, National Labor Relations Board, and his wife Clara, Ford submitted despite his threats of shutting down his company. On June 1941, Ford Motor Company became the last of the big three to recognize the UAW and sign their contract promising favorable labor terms to its workers. Death On April 7, 1947, Henry Ford died at the age of 83 near his Dearborn estate. Now here's the thing. Every aspect of Ford's life screamed passion and innovation. If you want to succeed, expect to have failures but don't be like those people that turn their backs or make excuses and give up. To every young person out there, build on your passion and knack for innovation and stay determined until you fulfill your dreams. Thank you very much for watching our videos. We'll like to give you another interesting video for you to enjoy next but before then, our team will be very happy if you can like this video and share it with your friends on social media. If you're new here, don't forget to subscribe so you won't miss other interesting videos like this. Look at your screen now to see two other interesting videos we handpicked for you to enjoy next. We love you.