A significant social and economic change occurred in the period between the late 1800s and early 1900s. Industrialization gained precedence, and various entrepreneurs came up with new products and services for the market. Among these entrepreneurs was Madame C.J. Walker, an African American female born in 1867 in a family of farm laborers. Another notable entrepreneur who made considerable social and economic changes in the period was Henry Ford. Ford was born in 1863, and through his interest in engineering, he developed the Ford Motor Company by 1903. These two individuals were motivated to venture into their respective businesses due to different aims but went on to impact the social and economic situation of their time.
History and Issues
The motivation for Walker to engage in entrepreneurship was due to the economic difficulties that she faced upon the death of the parents at only seven years old. Due to the situation, Walker began working as a local barber. The push into the particular industry resulted from a scalp ailment, which made her shed much of her hair. She attempted to perform experiments with various hair products and found one who healed her scalp’s condition. Through popularization by extensive and intensive forms of marketing, Walker went ahead and developed a scalp conditioning business. She carried out door to door marketing in lodges, residents, and even churches. Soon her business expanded, and a factory was set as well as a school and manicure/hair salon (Bundles, 1).
Even though the business flourished, Walker faced criticism from people such as Booker T, a Black rights activist and leader claiming that it was wrong to support black men in bleaching their skin and straightening their natural hair. Booker T argued that the business promoted the internalization of White perceptions of beauty (Gates, 2). However, the products were well received by the Black communities, and Walker pushed on to set a legacy as a successful Black female entreprenehttps://sharksavewriters.com/booker-washington-and-w-e-b/ur within the black cosmetics and hair-care business. Walker attributed the success of her business to her perseverance, honesty, faith, and mostly the quality of her products (Bundles, 1).
Ford’s engineering passion and interest began when he was 16 years old after leaving home to pursue work as an apprentice machinist. Through the exposure, he developed relevant skills which enabled him to carry operations and servicing of steam engines. Later, he became an engineer at Edison Illuminating Company while working in the creation of a horseless carriage that would be powered by gasoline. After splitting up with an investor, he built his own company and resorted to the development of vehicle models that could be afforded by ordinary people. Ford was successful with his initial vehicle, which prompted his motivation, and he decided to attempt mass production to provide for the rising demand. Ford’s legacy is emphasized on the fact that he was concerned about the workers and thus raised their wages by over 100%. Ford rose to become the world’s largest automobile manufacturer. His significant challenges include the fact that he opposed unionization and threat from declining automobile sales (History.com, 3).
Comparison
Walker’s background, as well as early life, is significantly in contrast with that of Ford. Ford was a White male born and raised in a prosperous Michigan farm while Walker was an African American female who grew up in a laboring farm family. Using her background, Walker found motivation and determination to pursue her endeavors. In the beginning, she opted to start a business as a way of providing for her daughter, but it recorded success, and he thought of it as a way of offering beauty solutions to her community (Bundles.1). A significant contrast is that Ford’s motivation and push for into his enterprise was out of passion that he had for machining and engineering. However, just like Walker, when his business grew successfully, he realized how to solve a societal problem by developing affordable automobiles (History.com, 1).
Another similarity between Ford and Walker is that they encountered various challenging in their ventures. For Walker, sections of the Black movement opposed her products as they perceived them as an internalization of White beauty ideals (Gates, 2). Despite the challenge, Walker triumphed through the strategic use of constant marketing techniques, which uplifted the products’ perception in the African American market. Ford encountered problems, especially from the labor unions, because he refused to unionize. The situation affected Ford’s business to the point of almost shutting down operations. Further, Ford faced the challenge of sales declination due to intense competition, but he progressed and set base across many regions in the world.
In conclusion, some of the economic changes that took place during the late 1800s and early 1900s relate to some of the present-day occurrences such as innovations. In the Walker and Ford period, entrepreneurs developed and came up with new products for the market based on the prevalent needs that the market required. For example, Ford created automobiles as a result of the need in society since he aimed to manufacture vehicles that were affordable to all people. Similarly, Walker introduced a new form of hair care as well as skincare by considering the need and current challenge within the African American community and market. To relate to modern entrepreneurs, they have been developing new innovations, products, and services based on needs within the market and society. Furthermore, current day entrepreneurs are motivated and pushed to create new products based on an underlying need to impact, serve, and implement changes in society.