A short reading about how one idea changed everyday life.
Henry Ford was born on a farm in 1863. As a young boy, he did not like farm work. Instead, he preferred looking at machines and trying to fix them. He liked to look at watches and clocks. He learned how to fix them by taking them apart and putting them back together. His neighbors even brought their broken watches to him to fix. This was fun for Ford. His father worried about his future, but young Henry had a strong connection to machines.
At age 16, Ford left home to work directly with machines in Detroit. He did not go to college. Instead, he learned by doing. He worked hard, and people began to trust his skills with engines. Many people were surprised that someone so young could fix machines so well. But Ford worked very carefully, and he always tried to learn new things. People began to trust him more and more.
In 1903, Ford started his own car company. At that time, cars were expensive to make because each one was made by hand. In contrast to others at the time, Ford believed that cars should not be just for rich people. He thought that everyone should have a chance to own a car. He had a personal goal: to make good cars that did not cost too much money.
His big idea was to make the car parts the same for every car. Then workers could put them together quickly. This was called the assembly line. It was a new way to make things, and it worked very well. Because of this, his cars cost less money to make.
Ford’s most famous car was the Model T. It was strong and simple. The Model T came in just one color: black. In contrast to other cars that came in many colors, Ford kept things simple. This helped him build cars faster and more cheaply. He said, “You can have any color you want, as long as it’s black!” The Model T was also much cheaper. Many workers could now buy their first car. This changed how people lived and worked in America.
Ford was also different because he paid his workers more than other factory owners did. He believed that his workers should be able to buy the cars they made. He also wanted them to have better lives.
By 1927, Ford had sold 15 million Model T cars. His ideas about making things helped many other businesses, too. Today, many factories still use his ideas to make things quickly and at lower costs.
Henry Ford died in 1947, but his ideas live on. He showed that good business ideas could help both the company and its workers. His company continues to make cars today, and his name is known all over the world.
The most important thing about Henry Ford was not just that he made cars. It was that he found a way to make good things that more people could buy. He changed how things are made and showed that new ideas can make life better for everyone.
Take a moment to think about what you read.
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