Henry Ford's Influence on Society In E.L. Doctorow's, Ragtime, a classic novel set in the early years of the twentieth century, Henry Ford appears for only one chapter, but in that chapter it becomes clear that Doctorow saw him as a democratic industrialist. In that chapter, J.P. Morgan invites Ford to have lunch with him at his Manhattan mansion. In this meeting of the two industry giants, Morgan invites Ford to go on an expedition to Egypt with him. Ford declined because he believed that Morgan's whole purpose for the trip had to do with reincarnation. Ford told Morgan that his belief of reincarnation came out of a book that he purchased for twenty-five cents, instead of a trip halfway around the world to find his beliefs. From this chapter we can conclude that Doctorow sees Ford as a simple man and someone who is concerned about not only himself but his workers as well.
Portrait of Henry Ford (ca. 1919)
Ford assembly line, 1913.
Henry Ford in 1888.Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863 in Dearborn, Michigan. His father, William Ford, and his mother, Mary Litogot Ford, lived and worked on their family farm. Henry also had three brothers, John, William, and Robert, as well as two sisters, Margaret, and Jane. Henry was the oldest of all the kids. As Henry grew up he was assigned chores to do around the farm just like all his brothers and sisters. Henry came to the conclusion that he didn't like farm life while he was still a young boy. He was more interested in mechanical things. He was always pulling things apart to see how they worked. In 1879 Henry walked six miles to the Michigan Car Company and took a job. Although it was only for a short time, he now knew what he wanted to do. The following year he took...