December 31, 1927 – The last Dearborn Independent

“The Dearborn Independent,” also referred to as “The Ford International Weekly,” was a weekly paper established in 1901 in Dearborn, Michigan, purchased by in 1919, and last went to press on this day in 1927. After being acquired by Ford from previous owner Marcus Woodruff, Henry Ford used the paper to pass along his views, which were largely anti-Semitic. Ford is well known for ranting about Jewish people, blaming them for the world’s wars. Although the paper reached a circulation of nearly 900,000 by 1925, it was shut down due to numerous lawsuits surrounding the anti-Semitic materials. In 1938, on Ford’s 75th birthday, German consul presented Ford with a Grand Cross of the German Eagle medal, the highest honor the German government could present to a foreigner.  A copy of the Dearborn Independent from May 22, 1920Charles Lindbergh’s Service Cross of the German Eagle (Verdienstorden vom Deutschen Adler), Missouri History Museum, St. Louis, Missouri, similar to the award bestowed upon Henry Ford. By Robert Lawton – Robert Lawton, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=908390