This is the story of Henry Ford's role in the creation of the Model T, the durable and low-priced car that helped put America on wheels; the assembly line, which revolutionized the industrial world; and the Five Dollar Day, which laid the foundation for a prosperous American middle class. By developing Fordism in the early twentieth century, with its formula of mass production and high wages, Ford offered a socio-economic blueprint for the United States' climb to global prominence in the next half-century. Additionally,Henry Ford was at the center of a shifting American understanding of "the pursuit of happiness" and an embrace of consumption. But Ford's dark side is also revealed, including his anti-Semitism, ill treatment of workers, militant anti-unionism, and his cruelty to his own son.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013, PBS (check local listings)
Edited by
Sabrina Zanella-Foresi
Written, produced, and directed by
Sarah Colt
Co-produced by
Helen Ryan Dobrowski