Quote:
Originally Posted by Red October1984
Ford invented the assembly line that revolutionized production of everything...
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Just because I am just that kind of pompous annoying type of guy...
The assembly line was used long before Ford.
Firearm manufacturer Honoré LeBlanc (some French guy) first made the concept of an assembly line (interchangeable parts) practical in the late 1700's. About the same time English Naval engineer Samuel Bentham, used LeBlanc's idea and adopted it for the assembly of ship blocks. There was also a clothing manufacturer called North that used an assembly line concept in England. And there were others. Rarely in history does one person "invent" something solely on his or her own. t was actually Thomas Jefferson (as SecState) who brought the assembly idea back to the US.
US History being what it is, naturally an American (Whitney) (cue music) "Invented" the idea of using interchangeable parts and used them in an assembly line.
Ok ok ok, But Ford was the first to use an assembly line for manufacturing cars.
Well, Ransom Olds patented the automobile assembly line in 1901.
But Ford was the one that invented the concept of a moving assembly line where the workers stayed in one place and the product moved..... Except that as early as the 1100's , the Venetian Arsenal produced ships by moving them down a canal where they were fitted with new parts at each stop.
Ok, so what did Ford invent?
First of all, Ford learned a lot from his association with Thomas Edison -- Take credit for the work of your employees. What Ford brought to the assembly line was the concept of the Conveyor System, where the product and its components were transported to the right location, in the right order, at the right time to the point of individual assembly.
And let's not downplay this. This was a significant improvement in the long established practice of assembly lines.
So Ford did not invent the assembly line, he just improved it greatly.
It is not surprising that history books written by American's tend to elevate the participation of American's. I am sure that this applies to many countries' history books.
I have read some Russian history books that made me shake my head ruefully at times.
Yeah, it is not surprising that I don't get invited to too many parties.
