That time an American billionaire tried to build his dream city in the Brazilian jungle

Singular vision

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

People like Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk tend to portray themselves as visionaries, trying to apply their knowledge and know-how to improve society. However, before any of them, Henry Ford tried to go beyond… and failed.

A one-man industrial revolution

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

In 1928, Henry Ford wasn’t just any captain of industry, for many people in the United States, he WAS the automobile industry. His mass-produced Ford Motor T was a turning point for industry, redefining the manufacturing process for decades.

Buying more than a few acres

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

As The Guardian explains, the Ford Motors founder was seeking to establish rubber plantations to lower the prices of car tires. However, a few acres of jungle wasn’t enough for Henry Ford.

Image: Ivars Utināns / Unsplash

A Utopian company town

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

The automobile industrialist wanted to build a city, designed on his personal philosophy of work ethic and American values. This utopian company town would help the humble name of Fordlandia or Fordlândia in Portuguese.

A little Amazon shopping

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

The Henry Ford Foundation explains that the founder of Ford Motors brokered a deal with the Brazilian government, getting a concession of one million hectares (2.5 million acres) in the middle of the Amazon jungle.

Image: wawa01 / Unsplash

Planned to house 10,000 employees

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

Fordlandia was founded in 1928 and located in the northeastern Brazilian state of Pará. The town was planned to house 10,000 employees that would work on Ford’s rubber operations.

Getting more than they bargained

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

Hundreds of local workers came to Fordlandia, under the promise of good wages, free meals and housing, and all the advantages of the American way of life. However, they ended up getting far more than they bargained for.

All the basic amenities

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

The Guardian writes that Fordlandia was planned with features such as modern hospitals, schools, power generators, a sawmill, a water tower, a swimming pool, and an 18-hole golf course.

Pictured: The ruins of Fordlandia's hospital, once considered the most modern in South America.

Vila Americana

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

A suburb, Vila Americana, was built for the US management with running water. Local Brazilian workers would have to do with water from wells.

Not a lot to do in Fordlandia

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

Fordlandia also had very strict rules. Alcohol, tobacco, football (American or otherwise), and single women weren’t allowed within the city limits.

Innocence Island

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

Local workers managed to go around these rules by establishing “Innocence Island”, a spot with bars, nightclubs, and brothels located eight kilometers (5 miles) upstream from Fordlandia.

Michigan in the jungle

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

As the Henry Ford Foundation explains, Brazilian locals had issues conforming to the American way of life.

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

Houses were built as they were in the American Mid-West (which weren’t practical for the jungle), and entertainment consisted of activities such as public lectures, poetry readings and square dancing!

Image: From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Under the tropical sun

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

The Ford Motors Company also expected employees to follow an eight-hour schedule, instead of working early in the morning and late in the afternoon to avoid the tropical sun.

Image: leonbeckert / Unsplash

Unhappy meal

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

Meals, which were provided for free, were also patterned after US cuisine. Native workers, then unaccustomed to hamburgers and canned food, would complain that the foreign meals would cause them stomachache.

North Vs. South

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

Tensions ran high between native Brazilian workers and US managers. A few riots broke out, with the Brazilians brandishing machetes and destroying local buildings, and at one point there was a threat of the local military intervening.

Image: From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

The wrong sort of green thumb

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

The rubber plantations, which started very badly by trying to follow US-based agricultural knowledge, didn’t yield anywhere near the expected results.

Image: isuru18 / Unsplash

Small improvements, but not enough

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

A change of management, an expert on tropical agriculture, relaxing policies, and a new town, Belterra, improved things somewhat but the writing was on the wall for Henry Ford’s tropical experiment.

And the yankees went home

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

Ford Motors officially abandoned the town in 1945, after housing US military personnel during the Second World War. By then, car tires were being made with synthetic rubber, rendering Fordlandia’s main economic drive obsolete.

Modern-day Forlandia

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

Back in 2023, The Washington Post reported that some 2,000 people still live in Fordlandia, with many of them being impoverished descendants of Henry Ford’s workers.

A Utopia left to rot

Singular vision, A one-man industrial revolution, Buying more than a few acres, A Utopian company town, A little Amazon shopping, Planned to house 10,000 employees, Getting more than they bargained, All the basic amenities, Vila Americana, Not a lot to do in Fordlandia, Innocence Island, Michigan in the jungle, No wonder Innocence Island was popular..., Under the tropical sun, Unhappy meal, North Vs. South, The wrong sort of green thumb, Small improvements, but not enough, And the yankees went home, Modern-day Forlandia, A Utopia left to rot

The houses and buildings of this former industrial Utopia now lay abandoned, slowly being swallowed up by the jungle.

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