- 1. The Ghost Town of Fordlândia, once a bold vision of industrial expansion and an ambitious project by the American rubber magnate Henry Ford in the 1920s, now stands as a haunting reminder of failed dreams and ecological miscalculations. Located in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, Fordlândia was established with the intent of cultivating rubber to supply Ford's burgeoning automobile empire with a sustainable and local source for tire production. The town was meticulously planned, featuring wide boulevards, a community center, houses resembling Midwestern architecture, and even a hospital, all designed to create a utopian environment for the workers brought in from the United States and Brazil. However, the project quickly faced insurmountable challenges, including the region's tropical diseases, the complexities of the local ecology, and the cultural dissonance between American managerial practices and Brazilian labor expectations. By the late 1930s, after numerous setbacks and the failure to produce sufficient rubber, Fordlândia was abandoned, leaving behind crumbling buildings overtaken by the encroaching jungle. Today, it serves as an eerie yet captivating site for adventurers, historians, and environmentalists alike, reflecting the consequences of industrial ambition clashing with the resilience of nature, and prompting discussions about sustainability, colonialism, and the intricate relationship humans have with the environment.
What country is Fordlândia located in?
A) Argentina
B) Venezuela
C) Colombia
D) Brazil
- 2. Who founded Fordlândia?
A) Andrew Carnegie
B) Thomas Edison
C) Henry Ford
D) John D. Rockefeller
- 3. In what year was Fordlândia established?
A) 1938
B) 1928
C) 1914
D) 1945
- 4. What was the primary purpose of Fordlândia?
A) Rubber production
B) Timber extraction
C) Sugarcane farming
D) Coffee cultivation
- 5. Which tree’s sap was crucial to the establishment of Fordlândia?
A) Bamboo
B) Coconut tree
C) Cacao tree
D) Rubber tree
- 6. What did Henry Ford want to achieve with Fordlândia?
A) Create a self-sufficient community
B) Develop a new car model
C) Construct an amusement park
D) Build a luxury resort
- 7. What was one of the social plans proposed by Ford for the town?
A) Free healthcare for all
B) Mandatory education for children
C) Prohibition of alcohol
D) Open market for alcohol
- 8. When did Fordlândia ultimately fail as a settlement?
A) 1950
B) 1945
C) 1940
D) 1932
- 9. What ultimately replaced Fordlândia as a significant rubber source?
A) Southeast Asian plantations
B) African rubber farms
C) Synthetic rubber production
D) Native rainforest harvesting
- 10. What type of architecture was prominent in Fordlândia?
A) Modernist
B) Industrial
C) Gothic
D) Baroque
- 11. Which indigenous people lived in the area before Fordlândia was established?
A) The Tupinambá
B) The Tapajós
C) The Guarani
D) The Yanomami
- 12. Which environmental issue impacted the rubber trees in Fordlândia?
A) Deforestation
B) Fungal disease
C) Drought
D) Flooding
- 13. Which major global event affected rubber production in the early 20th century?
A) The Cold War
B) World War I
C) The Great Depression
D) World War II
- 14. Which plantation crop failed to thrive in Fordlândia due to disease?
A) Corn
B) Coffee
C) Sugarcane
D) Rubber
- 15. What was a major challenge in the development of Fordlândia?
A) Lack of resources
B) Natural disasters
C) Disease
D) Political instability
- 16. What was one of the first major structures built in Fordlândia?
A) A school
B) A hospital
C) A factory
D) A church
- 17. In which decade was Fordlândia established?
A) 1920s
B) 1910s
C) 1930s
D) 1940s
- 18. What disease became prevalent among the workers in Fordlândia?
A) Tuberculosis
B) Malaria
C) Typhoid fever
D) Cholera
- 19. Which other city was part of Henry Ford's ambitions for rubber production?
A) Rio de Janeiro
B) Belterra
C) São Paulo
D) Manaus
- 20. Fordlândia's initial population consisted primarily of which group?
A) Indigenous people
B) European migrants
C) Local Brazilian farmers
D) American workers
- 21. What type of governance was established in Fordlândia?
A) Direct democracy
B) A company town structure
C) Democratic elections
D) Military rule
- 22. Which of the following best describes Fordlândia today?
A) A government project
B) Sparsely populated
C) Abandoned
D) Thriving
- 23. How did the locals react to Ford’s imposition of American culture?
A) They embraced it
B) They were confused
C) They resisted
D) They remained neutral
- 24. Which resource did Fordlândia primarily compete with?
A) Brazilian coffee
B) Southeast Asian rubber
C) West African cocoa
D) North American timber
- 25. What year did Ford abandon the project?
A) 1936
B) 1934
C) 1930
D) 1932
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