$5 for what we will
A rare OTD post, because I came across it and can't stop thinking about it today. On this Day January 5, in 1914, Henry Ford instituted the $5 day. This was a big moment. It was around twice (sorry, my books are all in my office and I'm not going to the college over break for a blog post) what his workers had made previously, and far more than unskilled workers could have made in America. A much celebrated moment, that, Ford said, would mean that workers in his factories would now be able to buy the cars they were making (spoiler alert: they wouldn't). The $5 day came with strings attached, though. The $5 meant that Ford's dreaded Sociological Department (who isn't a little afraid of angering the Sociology Department!) would be visiting the workers' homes, making sure that they were keeping a clean house, abstaining from alcohol, not taking in borders. The $5 meant that immigrant workers would have to take "Americanization" classes, where they wo