Henry Ford Built a City in the Amazon. Why Did It Fail?

Henry Ford wanted rubber for his cars. Deep in Brazil’s Amazon, his company built an entire town to help supply it. It was called Fordlândia—a place of American-style homes, schools, a hospital, and company rules that reached far beyond the working day. But behind the ambitious promise were struggling plantations, frustrated workers, and a landscape that refused to behave like a Michigan factory. In this episode of Michigan Remembered, we follow the story from Dearborn to the Tapajós River: the families who moved there, the 1930 workers’ revolt, the second attempt at Belterra, and Ford’s withdrawal in 1945. And we look beyond the familiar “ghost town” label to remember the people who continued calling Fordlândia home. Did anyone in your family work for Ford—or mention its towns in Brazil? Share your story in the comments. #HenryFord #Fordlandia #MichiganHistory