IntroHenry Ford was one of the greatest inventors of the 20th century. Brilliant and eccentric are the words used to describe him. His vision was to help create the middle class in the United States. By increasing wages and increasing free time. His greatest inventions, namely the assembly line and the Model T car, revolutionized the automotive industry. The Ford Motor Company was founded by Henry Ford and is today the second largest US automaker and the fifth largest in the world. On April 7, 1947 at the age of 83, Ford died at his home in Dearborn, MichiganPersonal InformationHenry Ford was born in Springfield Township, Michigan on July 30, 1863. His parents were William and Mary Ford; he grew up on his parents' farm. Henry was the eldest of six children. Before he built cars, Henry Ford was known for his tinkering, taking scraps of metal and turning them into little cars. When Ford wasn't helping his father with the harvest, he attended a one-room school for eight years. At the age of 16 he left home to work in Dearborn Michigan, at Flower Brothers Machines Shop, working as an assistant machinist. Ford was fired from his first job. Mary Ford was Henry's inspiration as a child, and his role model and later friend was Thomas Edison. In 1888 he married Clara Barynet. In 1893 Clara Barynet gave birth to Edsel Ford, Henry Ford's only son. Milestones Over the next few years, Ford learned to work on and maintain steam engines. In 1883 he was hired by the Edison Illuminating Company, and he later obtained the position of chief engineer. After two years of uninterrupted work Henry Ford created the first quadricycle that did not need to be pulled by a horse. In the same year Ford meets his role model, the inverter Thomas Edison, who encourages him to do ... middle of paper ... in the hope of ending the war, Ford announces the shipment of the Peace Ship. The plan was to sail to Europe and convince the nations that were at war to stop fighting. His plan failed. Ford also ran to congress in hopes of ending the war, this plane also failed. When World War II broke out in 1939, Ford fought to keep the United States from choosing sides. Ford hated war, but after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the Ford Motor Company became one of the United States' largest military contributors. The Ford Motor Company supplied airplanes, engines, jeeps, and tanks. Works Cited http://school.nettrekker.com/goExternal?np=/sections/external/web/external.ftl&pp=/sections/external/web/external.ftl&evlCode =229705&productName=school&al=Middle http://school.eb .com/levels/high/article/109415 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/introduction/henryford-introduction/