Antisemitism in America reached a peak during the late 19th and early 20th century when the United States absorbed some millions of Jews from Europe and Russia escaping death and destruction.
The increased migration echoed fear and an assumption from many Americans that their traditional way-of-life would be disrupted.
One of the most noted antisemites was Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company.
During a camping expedition in 1919 with a group of colleagues he gave a lecture around a campfire, not long after World War 1 had concluded. Ford delivered a fiery lecture.
One of his friends attending the lecture wrote in his diary some of the disgusting accusations made by Ford.
“The Jews caused the war. The Jews caused the outbreak of thieving and robbery all over the country. The Jews caused the inefficiency of the navy and they fomented World War One, purely as a means of personal financial gain …..”
Mistrust of Jews
To try and decipher Ford’s code of hatred for the Jews, it is necessary to examine his upbringing, his attitude to change, and his personal beliefs.
He was born in 1863 on a small farm in Springwells Township, Michigan, not far from Detroit. As he grew up the lure of urban living and secondary industry occupied his mind, so he moved to Detroit.
But though he left the farm, the farm never left him.
And this was the beginning of his mistrust of the Jews of America and what he perceived was their control and influence in the money market and banking institutions.
In 1918, Ford ran for the US Senate but failed to be elected. He claimed the Jews were responsible for his defeat by governing a hostile press to campaign against him with their financial weight and influence.
This prompted him to buy a small local newspaper called ‘The Dearborn Independent’ where he could express his own opinions and views free from being attacked by the commercial media.
What magnified his hatred was the development of America after the war ended. He strongly objected to modernity with affluent urbanic living style and cultural growth.
Once again, he blamed the Jews for developing the progress of America during the Roaring Twenties.
Henry Ford never left the farm. Despite his remarkable success in the creation of the Ford Motor Company, rural conservatism never left him.
And for this he blamed the Jews.
It becomes apparent that the words of condemnation of the Jews from a wealthy and highly successful businessman in America carried much weight and the spread of antisemitism was precipitated by much of his rhetoric.
The International Jew
Between 1919 and 1927, Henry Ford published a series of articles in his newspaper highlighting antisemitism in so many different spheres.
The series were later bound into a book of four volumes titled ‘The International Jew’.
His opinions were damaging to the Jews of America. In fact, he went as far to say the vast majority of Jews were infecting the United States.
In today’s numbers this would amount to some 6 million Jews infecting the welfare of 330 million citizens of America.
A claim of untold exaggeration and untruth, but this is how antisemitism spreads at a galloping pace. The seeds of fear being sowed into the minds of the citizens.
Ford legitimized these vile opinions through the distribution of about half a million books through his company dealerships and subscribers to the newspaper. He literally drove antisemitism.
An Afterthought
Some opinions about Henry Ford reveal that contrary to popular belief, he was not such a wise man. He was stubborn and uneducated and nearly bankrupted the company he founded.
What saved him was World War 1 when the Department of War commissioned the company to manufacture jeeps, trucks and other equipment for warfare.
To make sure the orders were fulfilled as required, the Department recalled Ford’s son from active service in the war to run the company.
So much for the Jews fomenting the war for their own personal financial gain.
