Understanding Henry Ford: Innovator & Antisemite
Examining the legacy of an enigmatic figure who was one of the 20th century's most innovative industrialists, as well as a peddler of virulent antisemitism across America.
Henry Ford, circa 1938. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)
May 8, 2023
BY Luke Crafton
Henry Ford is rightly remembered as one of the most consequential figures in the history of the American automotive industry. He revolutionized manufacturing in ways that truly fueled the modern world as we know it.
A full understanding of Ford's legacy, however, must also include acknowledgement of a side of his character sometimes omitted from discussions of his significance: Henry Ford was steadfastly committed to virulent racist and antisemitic views that he clung to for most of his life. He used his vast resources and influence in a sustained campaign to spread bigotry and conspiracy thinking throughout American society. Ford consistently refused to employ Jews in white-collar jobs within his companies, and he was a supporter of various antisemitic organizations, including the KKK.
In one of his most far-reaching endeavors, Ford purchased the Dearborn Independent, a suburban Detroit newspaper, and between 1919 and 1927, it was used to publish articles — one series entitled "The International Jew: The World's Problem" — promoting vile stereotypes and conspiracy theories. These included the idea that Jews exerted systematic control over America's financial system, were responsible for starting World War I, and were plotting to take over the world. By the mid-1920s, The Dearborn Independent had grown to a circulation of almost 1 million thanks to Ford's requirement that his network of car dealers distribute the paper.
Though it's unlikely that Ford could have personally created each element of such a voluminous body of propaganda, the ideas were nonetheless distributed with his endorsement and in his name. And we should acknowledge that over the course of his life, both by his words and deeds, Ford was instrumental in stoking and maintaining an atmosphere of antisemitism that permeated much of American culture throughout the early 20th century.
In the later years of his life, Ford did make some statements in which he seemed to distance himself from his previous antisemitic views, but it is unclear whether he really recanted or even moderated his beliefs. In 1927, under the threat of legal trouble, Ford publicly apologized for the content of the Dearborn Independent and announced that he would no longer be involved in the newspaper's publication. He also expressed regret for any harm that his writings and activities may have caused, but whether or not Ford personally issued or endorsed these statements remains questionable.
Ford did make efforts to improve his public image, and he became involved in several philanthropic endeavors, funding the non-profit Ford Foundation, which supported various educational and social welfare programs, and establishing the Henry Ford Hospital and the Ford Museum — all of which are still prominent institutions in Michigan today. Despite these efforts, some scholars maintain that Ford's public statements and philanthropic activities may have been motivated more by a desire to repair his damaged reputation than by a genuine change of heart.
In 1938, on the occasion of his 75th birthday, through their consul in Cleveland, Ohio, the Nazi regime bestowed on Henry Ford the Grand Cross of the German Eagle, the highest award granted to foreigners by the German government. Ford died in 1947, soon after the conclusion of World War II, as the whole world was finally beginning to grasp the full extent of the horrors of the Holocaust.
For a more complete picture of Henry Ford and his legacy, we recommend these online resources:
American Experience: Ford's Antisemitism
A 2012 interview with Hasia Diner, the Paul and Sylvia Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History and Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University, and Director of the Goldstein-Goren Center for American Jewish History.Henry Ford and Antisemitism: A Complex Story
An overview of the founder of the Ford Motor Company, published by the Henry Ford museum.Anti-Semitism in the United States: Henry Ford Invents a Jewish Conspiracy
An article from the Jewish Virtual LibraryHenry Ford and Antisemitism: The Notorious Dearbord Independent
An article from the American Jewish Archives
