Henry Ford and the Building of Modern Capitalism

Explore the compelling and complex legacy of the man Forbes Magazine named “The Businessman of the 20th Century. Your guide for this audio course is celebrated history professor Jeff Webb, voted Teacher of the Year at Huntington University. Each captivating lecture guides you through a different facet of Henry Ford’s life and accomplishments. Few industrial leaders rival Ford in their contributions to America’s global economic leadership, yet his life and views remain deeply controversial. Follow Ford’s path from his modest upbringing on a rural Michigan farm to his role as a titan of industry who revolutionized American automobile manufacturing. You’ll begin with Ford on his family farm, showing an early talent for tinkering with machines that eventually landed him a job as an engineer working for his hero, Thomas Edison. Later, through The Ford Motor Company, Ford pioneered industrial techniques that enabled the company to dominate the field of automobile manufacturing in its earliest stages of development. The Ford Model T, the low-cost automobile that put car ownership within reach of millions of middle and working-class Americans, likewise profoundly changed American culture. Known for nuanced biographies that depict the human being behind the flashpoint moments, Prof. Webb also tackles the controversies that followed Ford throughout his adult life, particularly his anti-Semitic commentary and dalliance with German fascism. As Webb deftly shows, these associations complicate the traditional picture of Ford as an American business icon, inviting questions about how best to remember the complicated people who have entered the pantheon of great figures in American history.