Henry Ford was a genius. He basically invented the modern world with the Model T and the assembly line. But he had a dark side that people still argue about today. Between 1920 and 1922, Ford published a series of articles in his newspaper, the Dearborn Independent, called The International Jew. It’s a mess of a legacy. Honestly, it’s hard to reconcile the man who gave us the five-dollar workday with the man who funded a massive antisemitic propaganda machine.
He wasn't just a car guy. He was obsessed with "social engineering."
Ford bought the Dearborn Independent in 1918 because he wanted a platform. He didn't want just any platform; he wanted a way to tell the American people exactly what he thought about everything from jazz music to "short skirts" and, most notoriously, Jewish people. By 1924, the paper had a circulation of about 900,000. That’s huge. To put that in perspective, it was one of the most widely read newspapers in the country at the time, partly because Ford required his car dealers to distribute it. You bought a Ford, you got a side of conspiracy theories.
What Exactly Was in The International Jew?
The series was eventually bound into four volumes. It wasn't some subtle academic critique. It was a full-frontal assault. Ford’s writers—mostly led by his personal secretary Ernest G. Liebold and editor William J. Cameron—relied heavily on The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. If you know your history, you know the Protocols was a proven forgery by the Russian secret police. It claimed there was a global Jewish conspiracy to control the world’s economy and media. Ford bought it hook, line, and sinker.
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He blamed Jewish people for the decline of American "agrarian" values. He blamed them for the war. He even blamed them for the "disgraceful" state of modern baseball. It sounds ridiculous now, but back then, it carried the weight of the Ford name.
The Global Ripple Effect
This wasn't just a local Detroit problem. The impact was global. Most people don't realize that The International Jew was translated into multiple languages, including German. It became a staple for the rising Nazi party. Baldur von Schirach, who led the Hitler Youth, actually testified at the Nuremberg trials that Ford’s book was what turned him into an antisemite.
Hitler himself admired Ford. In Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote, "Each year makes them [the Jews] more and more the masters of the producers of a people of one hundred and twenty millions; only one great man, Ford, to their fury, still maintains full independence." Hitler even kept a life-sized portrait of Ford behind his desk in Munich. In 1938, the German government awarded Ford the Grand Cross of the German Eagle. It was the highest honor Nazi Germany could give to a foreigner. Ford accepted it.
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The 1927 Apology: Genuine or PR?
Things got hairy for Ford in the mid-1920s. He got sued for libel by a lawyer named Aaron Sapiro. Sapiro claimed Ford’s paper had slandered Jewish agricultural cooperatives. The trial was a circus. Ford tried to avoid testifying, even staging a car accident to get out of it. Eventually, realizing the damage to the Ford Motor Company brand was becoming terminal, he settled.
He issued a formal apology in 1927.
He claimed he was "shocked" by what had been published in his name. He said he hadn't really read the articles. Does anyone actually believe that? Ford was a known control freak. He micro-managed everything from the grain of wood in his factories to the dance steps at his private parties. The idea that his own personal newspaper published 91 consecutive issues of antisemitic content without him noticing is, quite frankly, absurd.
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Historians like Victoria Saker Woeste, who wrote Henry Ford’s War on Jews, argue the apology was a calculated legal and business move. The Jewish community staged boycotts of Ford cars. Sales were dipping. The "Peace Ship" billionaire needed a win, so he signed a letter drafted by Louis Marshall of the American Jewish Committee.
Why It Still Matters in 2026
You might think this is ancient history. It’s not. The International Jew is still in print in various parts of the world. It’s a staple on extremist websites and in certain international bookshops. The "Ford" brand is so synonymous with American success that his endorsement of these theories gives them a "seal of approval" that persists a century later.
It’s a cautionary tale about the power of the platform. When a titan of industry decides to use their wealth to amplify hate, the echoes last for generations. Ford’s assembly line changed how we build things, but his newspaper changed how some people see their neighbors. It's a complicated, ugly part of the American story.
Actionable Insights for History Buffs and Researchers
If you're looking to understand the full scope of this era, don't just take one source's word for it. The nuance is in the primary documents.
- Audit the Primary Sources: Don't just read summaries. The Benson Ford Research Center in Dearborn, Michigan, holds the actual archives of the Dearborn Independent. Seeing the original layouts and the "Ford" masthead makes the reality of the propaganda much more visceral.
- Analyze the Business Impact: Look at the Ford sales data from 1926-1928. It shows a fascinating correlation between public outcry and corporate backtracking. It’s an early example of "cancel culture" actually having teeth because of economic pressure.
- Trace the Connections: Research the link between Ford’s writings and the 1924 Immigration Act. You'll find that the rhetoric used in the Dearborn Independent mirrored the "Nordic superiority" arguments used to justify strict quotas on immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe.
- Visit the Sites: If you're ever in Michigan, visit Greenfield Village, but go with a critical eye. Notice what is celebrated and what is omitted. Understanding how we curate our national heroes is just as important as the history itself.
The legacy of Henry Ford isn't just a car in every driveway; it's a reminder that even the most "progressive" industrial minds can harbor deeply regressive ideas.