(Preview) Vampire Bats Thwart Henry Ford episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 18, 2026 · 8 MIN

(Preview) Vampire Bats Thwart Henry Ford

from The Political Orphanage · host Andrew Heaton

Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing, built the modern automobile industry, and amassed one of the greatest fortunes in American history. Then he decided to conquer the Amazon. In this installment of our series on company towns, we explore Fordlandia—the bizarre Midwestern utopia Ford attempted to build in the Brazilian jungle. It had golf courses, square dancing, vegetarian cafeterias, anti-soccer policies, and enough cultural arrogance to power a small nation. It also had malaria, jaguars, vampire bats, riots, crop failures, and one of the most spectacular corporate disasters ever conceived. Join Heaton for the strange, hilarious, and cautionary tale of what happens when industrial genius collides with nature, culture, and the limits of human planning. HEAR THE FULL EPISODE: www.thepoliticalorphanage.com 

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 18, 2026

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(Preview) Vampire Bats Thwart Henry Ford

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