Henry Ford did not invent the automobile, but his innovative methods of production, including the moving production line, changed forever the way automobiles were built and brought them within the price range of ordinary Americans.
Ford was born Ford was born on a farm within the present city limits of Dearborn MI. After attending school near his home, he became a machinist in Detroit. He began experimenting with engines and produced his first automobile in 1896. He organized the Ford Motor Company in 1903. His first models were designed for the well-to-do, but he soon decided on mass producing cars for the common man. In 1909, he introduced the Model T. In 1914, he announced the previously unheard of rates of $5/day for his workers, while reducing the work day to 8 hours.
In 1915, Ford led a group of men and women to Europe on a "peace trip." He initially opposed bring America into World War I or World War II, but later his plants provided materiel in both wars. He died in 1947.
