Many people can be seen as heroes or villains robber barons or captains of industry but the man who most stands out as a hero during the progressive era is Henry Ford. (“While working as an engineer for the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit, Henry Ford (1863-1947) built his first gasoline-powered horseless carriage, the Quadricycle, in the shed behind his home.”)(history.com) This helped him start his revolution in the automobile industry in so many ways.
“To meet the overwhelming demand for the revolutionary vehicle, Ford introduced revolutionary new mass-production methods, including large production plants, the use of standardized, interchangeable parts and, in 1913.” (history.com) It took it from half a day for a car to rumble to life to 2 hours and 30 minutes for its engine to be roaring and setting off for the dealer to be sold (personification). How did he do it he used assembly lines to put Many people’s can parts on as the car goes down the line he even used this method for making the parts for the cars.
“Those who did have jobs at Ford soon discovered that there were even more conditions. Lost in the headlines was the fact that the pay increase was not a raise per se, it was a profit-sharing plan. If you made $2.30 a day under the old pay schedule, for example, you still made that wage under the Five-Dollar plan. But if you met all of the company’s requirements, Ford gave you a bonus of $2.70.” (history.com) Mr. Ford had done something no one had done before without pressure from a union or the law. He increased pay if you met certain criteria which were no alcohol, no abuse of any family member, regular contributions to a savings account, keep your home clean, and no borders (Someone who rents a room from someone else). The employees were regularly checked on to make sure they were following the rules.
“The world’s first moving assembly line for cars. Enormously influential in the industrial world.” (history.com) Henry Ford with the help of his workforce reinvented the car industry as we know it today. He as well reinvented the car as we know it today. If he hadn’t done it we wouldn’t have the vehicles that we appreciate.
“Did you know? The mass production techniques Henry Ford championed eventually allowed Ford Motor Company to turn out one Model T every 24 seconds.”(history.com)
These men Max Blanck and Isaac Harris were inconsiderate and unlike Henry Ford only cared about money so much so they had employees bags inspected every day after their shift to make sure they had all their products accounted for and only paid their employees 15 dollars a week that’s $2.14 per day. When the fire was over and the deaths were totaled. The tragedy brought widespread attention to the dangerous sweatshop conditions of factories. These led to the development of a series of new laws and regulations that better protected the safety of workers.employees
“On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory in New York City burned, killing 145 workers. It is remembered as one of the most infamous incidents in American industrial history, as the deaths were largely preventable–most of the victims died as a result of neglected safety features and locked doors within the factory building.” (history.com) Harris and Blanck were bottom of the barrel scum (metaphors) in their time and today are seen as villains who only wanted money. Like other villains of their time, they treated workers like they were rented mules (metaphor) by giving them long hours and almost minuscule pay(Hyperbili )in today’s money less than $2.20 a day and unacceptable working conditions by today’s standards.
“The danger of fire in factories like the Triangle Shirtwaist was well-known, but high levels of corruption in both the garment industry and city government generally ensured that no useful precautions were taken to prevent fires.” (history.com)These men knew that their factory was bad, so they paid off officials, so they wouldn’t have to put in a sprinkler system and check safety equipment.
“Blanck and Harris already had a suspicious history of factory fires. The Triangle factory was twice scorched in 1902, while their Diamond Waist Company factory burned twice, in 1907 and in 1910. It seems that Blanck and Harris deliberately torched their workplaces before business hours in order toto collect on the large fire-insurance policies they purchased, a not uncommon practice in the early 20th century.” (history.com) These men’s history was even known for having fires so that they could get even more money from insurance claims.
