Henry Ford built a Midwestern-style town in the Amazon

In 1927, Henry Ford decided to build a plantation in the Amazon to supply rubber for his auto company. The result was Fordlandia, an incongruous Midwestern-style town in the tropical rainforest. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the checkered history of Ford's curious project — and what it revealed about his vision of society.

We'll also consider some lifesaving seagulls and puzzle over a false alarm.

Show notes

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