
author
1863–1947
Best known for transforming the automobile from a luxury item into something many families could afford, he became one of the most influential industrialists of the 20th century. His name is closely tied to the Model T, the moving assembly line, and a vision of mass production that reshaped everyday life.

by Samuel Crowther, Henry Ford

by Henry Ford, Samuel Crowther
Born in Michigan in 1863, Henry Ford grew up on a farm but was drawn early to machines and engineering. After working as a machinist and engineer, he founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903 and went on to build the Model T, the car that made his company famous.
Ford's biggest impact came from changing how cars were made. By refining assembly-line production, he helped lower costs and increase output on a huge scale, making automobiles far more accessible to ordinary people. His business ideas influenced manufacturing well beyond the car industry.
His legacy is enormous, but it is also complicated. Alongside his industrial achievements, Ford was responsible for publishing antisemitic views that caused lasting harm. He died in 1947, and he remains a major figure in American history both for what he built and for the controversies that still surround his name.