Question
Ford Motor Company Strike
Desperation and frustration often create emotional responses. Throughout 1931 and 1932, companies trying to stay afloat sharply cut workers’ wages. In response, workers protested by staging increasingly bitter strikes. As the Depression unfolded, more than 80 percent of automotive workers lost their jobs. Even the typically prosperous Ford Motor Company laid off two-thirds of its workforce.
In 1932, a major strike at the Ford Motor Company factory near Detroit erupted into deadly violence. Often referred to as the Ford Hunger March, the event began as a planned demonstration. Approximately 3,000 unemployed Ford workers marched nine miles from Detroit to the company’s River Rouge plant in Dearborn. At the Dearborn city limits, local police launched tear gas at the protestors, who responded by throwing stones and clods of dirt. At the gates of the plant, protestors faced more police, as well as firefighters and private security guards. The firefighters turned hoses on the protestors, and the police and security guards opened fire, killing four marchers and injuring more than 60 others. Police arrested 50 protestors. One week later, 60,000 mourners attended the public funerals of the slain protestors. The desperation of the strikers and the brutality of the response set the tone for worsening labor relations in the United States
In 3–5 sentences, describe the causes and impact of the Ford Hunger March in Dearborn, Michigan, in 1932.
Desperation and frustration often create emotional responses. Throughout 1931 and 1932, companies trying to stay afloat sharply cut workers’ wages. In response, workers protested by staging increasingly bitter strikes. As the Depression unfolded, more than 80 percent of automotive workers lost their jobs. Even the typically prosperous Ford Motor Company laid off two-thirds of its workforce.
In 1932, a major strike at the Ford Motor Company factory near Detroit erupted into deadly violence. Often referred to as the Ford Hunger March, the event began as a planned demonstration. Approximately 3,000 unemployed Ford workers marched nine miles from Detroit to the company’s River Rouge plant in Dearborn. At the Dearborn city limits, local police launched tear gas at the protestors, who responded by throwing stones and clods of dirt. At the gates of the plant, protestors faced more police, as well as firefighters and private security guards. The firefighters turned hoses on the protestors, and the police and security guards opened fire, killing four marchers and injuring more than 60 others. Police arrested 50 protestors. One week later, 60,000 mourners attended the public funerals of the slain protestors. The desperation of the strikers and the brutality of the response set the tone for worsening labor relations in the United States
In 3–5 sentences, describe the causes and impact of the Ford Hunger March in Dearborn, Michigan, in 1932.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The Ford Hunger March in 1932 was fueled by widespread desperation among unemployed workers, as companies, including Ford Motor Company, sharply reduced wages and laid off a significant portion of their workforce during the Great Depression. Approximately 3,000 unemployed Ford workers marched to protest their dire conditions, but the demonstration escalated into violence when police and private security responded with tear gas, firearms, and water hoses, resulting in the deaths of four marchers and injuries to many others. The brutal response by authorities highlighted the severe tensions between labor and management, ultimately setting a precedent for worsening labor relations in the United States and galvanizing support for workers' rights initiatives.