Eight Things Worth Knowing About Henry Ford and the Five-Dollar Day

[Guest Magoo]

With the 100th anniversary of the five-dollar day, Henry Ford's revolutionary move was back in the news, briefly. Here's a little more to the story.

Eight Things Worth Knowing About Henry Ford and the Five-Dollar Day | Mac's Motor City Garage.com

[RansomEli]

Very interesting article. Henry Ford was one of the most brilliant persons of the 20th century, but also one of the most complex. Each of his great points was matched by a similar dark one.

[Guest Magoo]

Very interesting article. Henry Ford was one of the most brilliant persons of the 20th century, but also one of the most complex. Each of his great points was matched by a similar dark one.

That is so true, well said. He was a visionary about the automobile, but in many other ways he was a provincial -- born in rural Michigan in 1863 with a grammar school education. And his general outlook changed considerably through the years. In 1914 when he was 50, he was a progressive. In 1934 at age 70, he was a bitter old reactionary.

[Studemax]

Henry Ford's positive attributes far outweigh his negative attributes. His manufacturing concepts are still impacting our lives to the good today, his pioneering spirit in materials and processes live on across the planet. His personal foibles and complexity may tantalize us all these many decades later, but if he was only an anti-Semite we would have forgotten him by now. Of course, I still don't understand his problem with Edsel - it's a pity we were deprived of the achievements of his brilliant mind so early.

Simply, the man did far more good than bad - and that's why two hundred years from now people will still be talking about Henry Ford.

[Guest Magoo]

Henry Ford's positive attributes far outweigh his negative attributes. His manufacturing concepts are still impacting our lives to the good today, his pioneering spirit in materials and processes live on across the planet. His personal foibles and complexity may tantalize us all these many decades later, but if he was only an anti-Semite we would have forgotten him by now. Of course, I still don't understand his problem with Edsel - it's a pity we were deprived of the achievements of his brilliant mind so early.

Simply, the man did far more good than bad - and that's why two hundred years from now people will still be talking about Henry Ford.

I think people become aware that Ford held some virulently bigoted views, especially about Jews, and feel they must interject that info into every discussion of Ford whether it is relevant or not. At that point it then becomes difficult to make the discussion about anything else. In effect the discussion is hijacked. Yes, Ford was a horrible anti-semite. That is a fact. But does that fact have much to do with the five-dollar day? No, not really. And we really do need to discuss the five dollar day.

[John_S_in_Penna]

Biographies and recollections have limitations. They are the

interpretations of a man's character by others--often many years

after the fact. Sometimes they're insightful; sometimes they are

biased; sometimes they are wrong.

If someone were to describe any of us, would he know us completely?

Would he see and appreciate our thoughts and all our fine qualities?

[JV Puleo]

Nearly everything that was written about HF during his lifetime was paid for by him... and he was an enthusiastic practitioner of abusing the legal system to attack and destroy anyone who openly criticized him. This is still done, but its not usually dismissed as being inconsequential. For this reason alone, I'm skeptical of much of his "persona." HF is not a person I admire. Although I freely give him credit for being a brilliant industrialist, I would not invite him home for dinner. During his lifetime he used his money to actively put his own views forward... never acknowledging or taking responsibility for the damage and slander he initiated. He was not a "private" individual and no one had to worm his ideas out of him. To me, he was a brilliant industrialist who was also a vicious, ignorant and arrogant bigot. I can see how bringing this up can be a distraction, but much of what is written and said about him today proceeds from the aura he created about himself and that is equally tiresome.

I doubt he was altruistic in any real sense but he did love to see his name in print (as long as what was said was laudatory). The $5 day was brilliant. The press, which largely did as he wished or suffered consequences, portrayed it as an across-the-board raise for thousands of workers, which it wasn't. They conveniently left out the qualifications and the snooping of his private police force to make sure "his" workers lived up to "his" standards. This was extreme behavior even then, so criticizing it now it is not the application of modern sensibilities to the past.

The episode of being decorated by the Germans is a case in point. HF was given the Order of the Prussian Eagle... an interesting choice because the Nazis almost never gave it to non-Germans. It was not a "minor" decoration as I've seen in print only recently. In fact, the only other non-German recipient under the Nazi regime was Benito Mussolini. HF loved it and had his picture receiving it on the front page of the Dearborn Independent (which, as he owned it, was anything but independent)... Edsel was mortified. Supposedly, he sent a team of men to every possible news stand to buy up the papers and burn them.

I have a great deal more respect for his successors.

Edited January 28, 2014 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[Guest Magoo]

The award given to Henry Ford by German diplomats is called the Order of the German Eagle (1937-1943) and was intended for non-Germans deemed noteworthy to the German people, in at least seven classes of merit, from Diamond to 5th class. Diplomatic in purpose, the medal was rarely awarded to Germans, two exceptions being Foreign Ministers Von Neurath and Von Ribbentrop. The award was primarily handed out to non-German politicians and businessmen.

Americans who accepted the Order of the German Eagle include Charles Lindbergh, James Mooney of General Motors, and Thomas J. Watson of IBM. And of course Henry Ford, who was awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle on July 30, 1938, his 75th birthday. Ford holds a prominent place in German history, and a rather different one than Americans tend to imagine---but that is a story for another day. Just as an interesting side note, Ford is the only American named in Mein Kampf.

The Dearborn Independent, a weekly newspaper in Dearborn, Michigan, was founded in 1901 and purchased by Henry Ford in 1919. He operated the paper until December of 1927, when he shut it down in response to the Aaron Sapiro libel suit and surrounding action by the Anti-Defamation League. When Ford received his medal, the Dearborn Independent had been out of print for over 10 years. Rather, the well-known photo of the event (below) was collected by the Associated Press The other two men in the photo are (L) Karl Kopp, German consul in Cleveland, and Fritz Heller, consular representative in Detroit. The setting is Ford's office in Dearborn.

So what is the source of all the inaccurate info about Ford?

Henry Ford was a genuine American folk figure, and as such, people liked to talk about him, make up folk stories about him, and they still do. If you know a story about Ford---good or bad---chances are far better than even that many of the key elements are fiction, if not the entire story. In other words, much of what you think you know about Henry Ford is probably wrong. That's just part of what makes Ford such a compelling historical figure.

Edited January 28, 2014 by Magoo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

I'm certainly prepared to stand corrected on the matter of the decoration and the newspaper... but it doesn't change my opinion of HF.

[Barry Wolk]

Nor mine.

[Restorer32]

Nor mine. I was however impressed with his water operated elevator at Fairlane. You don't often see an elevator you flush.

[41 Su8]

When my father was alive, he told me a story about Henry Ford. During the 20's, my father was the trimmer for Holbrook bodies. He knew much about the auto industry. I was told the reason for the increase in pay was not for the benefit of the workers. The stress of working on the line was high. It cost less to raise the pay than it would cost to retrain the workers. Sometimes the line would be sped up just a little without the workers knowing it. The end result was more stress and a few hundred more cars were built in a day. The workers got more pay, more stress, and Ford produced more cars in a day, thus more profit. Shrewd, but brilliant.

[Guest Magoo]

I'm certainly prepared to stand corrected on the matter of the decoration and the newspaper... but it doesn't change my opinion of HF.

You are more than welcome to your personal opinions of Henry Ford. For what it's worth, my own views the man are mixed to say the least. Frankly, I don't see how they are the issue.

[Barry Wolk]

How can they not be the issue? Did these things not happen? No one seems to understand your defense of this horrible man. You can't separate his deeds and misdeeds, no matter how hard you try.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Barry Wolk (see edit history)

[Guest Magoo]

How can they not be the issue? Did these things not happen? No one seems to understand your defense of this horrible man. You can't separate his deeds and misdeeds, no matter how hard you try.

I haven't defended Ford at all. I find the claim ridiculous. Please go back and read what I wrote.

[Barry Wolk]

Henry Ford was a genuine American folk figure, and as such, people liked to talk about him, make up folk stories about him, and they still do. If you know a story about Ford---good or bad---chances are far better than even that many of the key elements are fiction, if not the entire story. In other words, much of what you think you know about Henry Ford is probably wrong.

Just saying'. I know what my family's personal experiences were, and they are not wrong.

[Guest Magoo]

Just saying'. I know what my family's personal experiences were, and they are not wrong.

Yes, and what you are telling me is your personal view of Henry Ford is of greater importance than the entire store of factual knowledge about his life and actions. Dozens of books and hundreds of scholarly papers have been written about Ford, historians have devoted their lives to the subject, but all that was a waste of time. We can just call him a jerk and be done with it, and that is all there is to know or say about him. Wolk has spoken.

I do not agree. Regardless of what you or I think of Ford, he is still one of the leading figures of the 20th century, and quite arguably the single most influential figure in the history of the auto industry. Our opinions and experiences are very small parts of a very large picture.

I find your accusation that I am "defending" Ford a little insulting. Do you know how cheap and easy that is? I could do the same to you. You are the guy who owns and drives Ford products, not me. How dare you defend and support Ford in that manner? There, see how cheap and easy it is?

[Barry Wolk]

Have it your way.

[Restorer32]

All that being said I would bet his workers were happy for the $5/day.

[John_S_in_Penna]

Magoo, your insights and responses are very helpful.

I think you are a true historian.

[Guest Magoo]

Magoo, your insights and responses are very helpful.

I think you are a true historian.

Thanks for the kind words.

[cahartley]

I think people become aware that Ford held some virulently bigoted views, especially about Jews, and feel they must interject that info into every discussion of Ford whether it is relevant or not. At that point it then becomes difficult to make the discussion about anything else. In effect the discussion is hijacked. Yes, Ford was a horrible anti-semite. That is a fact. But does that fact have much to do with the five-dollar day? No, not really. And we really do need to discuss the five dollar day.

While that isn't necessarily relevant in a way it is.

In order to hang onto that $5 a day job you were REQUIRED to live your life according to Henry and he "threw the book at you" full of his "suggestions" which weren't suggestions at all. It was Henry's way or no way.

[Guest Magoo]

While that isn't necessarily relevant in a way it is.

In order to hang onto that $5 a day job you were REQUIRED to live your life according to Henry and he "threw the book at you" full of his "suggestions" which weren't suggestions at all. It was Henry's way or no way.

It seems that way in 2014. But in 1914, the social scientists of the time hailed Ford's sociological department as a very progressive policy. And in many ways, it was. It certainly wasn't as evil as you describe, especially in the early years. As time went on, the system became subject to abuse, just as we can imagine.

Yes, the program was far more paternalistic and intrusive than people would accept in 2014. But again, this wasn't 2014, it was 1914. We could start by understanding the life of a typical auto worker then, and the social concerns of the period. The city of Detroit had many square miles of squalor, thousands of street children, and one of the largest skid rows in the world. Among the biggest objections to the $5 day came from clergymen and academics who said the additional wages and leisure time would only give workers more time and money for drinking. Incredible as it seems, those were the times.

I can already see this coming...people saying I an "defending" Ford. Not at all, only trying to keep matters in proper historical context.

Edited February 2, 2014 by Magoo (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

Magoo, have you written any books or articles on

automotive subjects? Your incisiveness comes through

even in your postings. (If not, you should.)

"For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

[Guest Magoo]

Magoo, have you written any books or articles on

automotive subjects? Your incisiveness comes through

even in your postings. (If not, you should.)

"For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

Yes, thanks for asking. My real, offline name is Bill McGuire and I am an automotive writer by trade. I worked many years for AutoWeek, more years for Hot Rod Magazine, and now do a lot of contract and freelance work in print and digital media. I also do technical and executive consulting in the auto industry. If it's about cars, I'm into it, but auto industry history is now my special passion.

The website began as a total lark but quickly became more serious. It is far more popular than I ever dreamed but still has a way to go to become successful in the $$$ sense. Thanks for your interest and for the kind words.