How a failing newspaper project by Henry Ford fueled global antisemitic movements
In 1920, Henry Ford’s struggling newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, launched a series of antisemitic articles that would eventually be compiled into a four-volume set titled The International Jew. Though Ford later claimed ignorance, the pamphlets spread globally, influencing future Nazi leaders and leaving a dark, enduring legacy in history.
The International Jew originated from a desperate business strategy. By early 1920, Ford’s personal newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, was suffering from low subscriptions and financial losses. Ford and his secretary, Ernest G. Liebold, conceived a series of articles targeting Jewish influence to boost interest. While Liebold managed the collection of materials, the writing was primarily handled by William J. Cameron, a man known as the walking dictionary. The articles were serialized weekly for 91 issues, prompting editor E. G. Pipp to resign in protest in April 1920.
The most aggressive stories were later compiled into four volumes. The first volume, published in November 1920, had an initial print run estimated between 200,000 and 500,000 copies. Because Liebold never copyrighted the work, it entered the public domain and was translated into 16 languages. This lack of control allowed the material to circulate widely, finding a receptive audience in Germany, where six editions were published between 1920 and 1922. Nazi leader Baldur von Schirach later credited the book with his own radicalization, noting that Ford represented the pinnacle of American success and progress.
The project eventually collapsed under legal pressure. After the Independent alleged that Jewish interests were holding Texas cotton farmers hostage, lawyer Aaron Sapiro filed a $1 million libel lawsuit against Ford. During the trial, Cameron testified that Ford had no involvement in the editorials, a claim disputed by investigative journalist Max Wallace and others who believed such a project could not have proceeded without Ford’s explicit approval. Ford ultimately issued a public apology and retraction, claiming he was shocked by the content, and shut down the newspaper on December 31, 1927. Despite this, the damage was done; Adolf Hitler kept copies of the books and a portrait of Ford in his office, citing the industrialist as a singular inspiration.
Source: The International Jew
