1. Description
Chapter 3:
This chapter focuses on how Henry Ford whole heatedly hates war. Many at the
time even call him a pacifist. On the brink of World War I, Ford is trying to
stop the United States from joining the war by any means possible, he takes
this up as his devotion during the time period. His direct enemy during the
time period was Theodore Roosevelt. The two would continuously go back and
forth over how Ford disliked war and that Roosevelt was trying to start a war.
Ford believed that industry could end all wars, he believed that if everyone worked
for an industrial factory, that they would have something to do and wouldn’t be
inclined to go to war. Ford was also an advocate for desecrating all federal
borders, he thought that with the help of industrialism, national borders could
dissolve and intern, war would seize.
Chapter 4:
The chapter begins with Ford fighting various public opinions that he couldn't read.
This was often the public opinion, but he didn't do anything to diminish it.
Behind closed doors he enjoyed reading Emerson, because he believed that nature
when intertwined with industry is taking full advantage of nature’s beauty. Ford
also advocated for a “one foot in agriculture, one foot in industry,” policy.
He believed that people had a downtime season whether in industry or
agriculture, and during that time they should do the other profession. In an
area called the Upper Peninsula which is in upstate Michigan near the great
lakes, Ford purchased a huge tract of land that would be almost the size of his
future Amazonian venture. In this area, he created various lumber towns that
would also be able to practice agriculture. This idea is one that eventually dwarfs
into his Fordlandia in Brazil. Earlier in the book it talks of how Ford pays $5
a day, but with that he enforces very strict rules. Now, this has become even
worse, he has a team of men that are in the factories who scare workers into
working faster and faster and to help cut down production times. Families and
observers think this is quite harsh and equates to a form of slavery through
industry.
Chapter 5:
This chapter goes into the beginnings of Ford actually acquiring Fordlandia. A man
named De Lima, is one of the people who are openly talking ford into purchasing
the land, by telling him about the riches of rubber that ford could harvest
there. But more importantly are the people who are working to get Ford to
purchase the lot behind the scenes. Villares, who was a wealthy man in Brazil,
did a lot of the behind the scene work. He secured rights form the Brazilian
government to actually sell the land to Ford, but while doing this there was a
lot of bribery going on because Villares could make a lot of money. Villares
had paid off a couple of Ford’s men so that they would support the purchase, and
eventually Villares went and talked to ford himself in Detroit offering up the
land.
2. Themes
WOR-
Chapter 3 has a deep connection with the entire world.
One of the main issues in the chapter is how the US will, or won’t join in on
the World War that was plaguing Europe. The chapter talks of how Ford tried to
send a ship to Europe to have a diplomatic peace, but that failed miserably.
When US actually entered the war, even Ford converted some of his factories to
aid in the war effort.
ENV-
One of the things Ford tries to do, is integrate the
future, industry, with the past, agriculture. He thinks that if these two mix
then there will be a perfect world. Ford also hates the cow, reasons for this aren’t
discussed but he thinks there are too many useless by products. Soybeans are
what Ford thinks can be the savior of the world, ford comes up and uses various
different soy foods and oils ranging from milk to car lubricants. The other
very important thing that Ford tries to do is use everything from his lumber
mills. He wants to get the most out of the environment and uses all of the
scraps and some even end up in charcoal as the now biggest charcoal company.
3. Outline
Businesses and foreign policymakers increasingly looked
outside U.S. borders in effort to gain greater influence and control over
markets and nature resources in the Pacific, Asia, and Latin America. (Key Concept 6.1 1 B.)
Ford does the initially with expanding his car production into various Latin
America countries. During WWI he can’t expand into Europe because it’s too
difficult for the business, but in this time he built and sells cars within
Latin America and eventually becomes the largest car company in the region
controlling more than 60% of the sector.
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