His History Is Bunk; ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

Byline: Compiled by Charles Legge

QUESTION Did Henry Ford actually say 'History is bunk'? If so, what was the context?

HENRY FORD (1863-1947) was a giant of American industry. He founded the Ford Motor Company and introduced the first modern assembly lines for mass production. His Model T automobile revolutionised transport and American industry.

There's no evidence that he ever actually claimed history was bunk. He actually said: 'History is more or less bunk', and the qualification makes a big difference. He said it in an in-depth interview with Chicago Tribune journalist Charles Wheeler, which ran through three issues of the paper in 1916.

There was much hidden context woven into the interview. World War I was in its second year and Ford was a committed pacifist, whereas the Tribune was pro-war.

One of Ford's most publicised acts was to charter an ocean liner to carry himself and a party of pacifists to Europe in November 1915 in an attempt to end the war by means of …

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Publication information: Article title: His History Is Bunk; ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Contributors: Not available. Newspaper title: Daily Mail (London). Publication date: January 25, 2010. Page number: 52. © 2007 Daily Mail. COPYRIGHT 2010 Gale Group.

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