Abner is an honest, hardworking everyman who grows up in severe poverty in Detroit. Physically frail but morally upright, he holds a deep belief in the American Dream and an unwavering loyalty to his country. His life becomes entirely intertwined with the Ford Motor Company as he starts working there, seeking to secure a middle-class existence for his growing family through faithful service.

Henry Ford is an inventive, practical mechanic who dreams of building an inexpensive automobile for the common people. Driven by a relentless work ethic and a desire for absolute efficiency, he quickly builds a massive industrial empire. Initially approachable and sympathetic to his workers, his obsession with mass production and profit begins to isolate him, fundamentally altering his worldview and his treatment of the thousands of people he employs.

Milly is Abner's fair-haired, bright-eyed wife who comes from a working-class family of strict religious believers. Though initially optimistic, the grinding poverty of her circumstances and the immense physical toll of childbearing quickly wear down her health. She manages the household chores with constant financial anxiety, remaining devoted to her family as they endure the unpredictable cycles of industrial capitalism.

Tom is Abner's highly intelligent and athletic youngest son. Unlike his father and eldest brother, Tom views the industrial system critically and questions the severe exploitation of its factory workers. A college-educated former football star, he combines a charismatic, down-to-earth personality with deep-seated ideological convictions, dedicating himself to organizing the burgeoning automobile workers' union.

John is Abner's serious, sturdy eldest son who shares his father's mechanical interests and deep dedication to the Ford Motor Company. He attends Ford's trade school and focuses entirely on climbing the corporate ladder. He views the industrial empire as the ultimate path to prosperity and rigorously aligns himself with its corporate values to secure an upper-middle-class lifestyle.

Annabelle is John Shutt's socially ambitious wife, raised with an acute awareness of class boundaries. She carefully curates her friendships to avoid the lower classes and persistently seeks access to wealthier social circles. Deeply invested in industrial capitalism, she demands financial security and fiercely resents anything that threatens her hard-won social standing.

Daisy is Abner and Milly's sweet, capable daughter who dreams of a comfortable, elegant life working as a stenographer. Despite her aspirations for independence, she frequently finds herself bound to the grueling domestic labor of the Shutt household. She remains a loyal, gentle presence who attempts to keep peace among her ideologically divided brothers.

Hank is Abner's defiant second son, a tough youth who openly rejects his parents' piety and lawful obedience. He quickly drifts into a life of juvenile delinquency, robbing trains and running with local street gangs. As he grows older, his criminal instincts translate into a lucrative career in bootlegging, eventually drawing the attention of corporate interests who need tough enforcers.

Dell is a conscientious, college-educated young woman from a conservative Iowa family who entirely rejects her background to embrace progressive labor politics. Small in stature and wearing large spectacles, she works in the city welfare department, bringing an academic understanding of economics to the labor struggle. She is fiercely devoted to Tom and the cause of the working class.

Harry Bennett is a hard-faced, tough former sailor whom Ford places at the head of the company's notorious service department. He commands a private army of thousands of policemen and spies tasked with maintaining rigid discipline on the factory floor and violently rooting out union organizers. He effectively isolates Ford from the public and the reality of his workers' suffering.

Dean Marquis is an Episcopal pastor tasked with running Ford's intrusive Social Department, which investigates the private lives, finances, and morals of Ford employees. He attempts to maintain a Christian, idealistic approach to corporate governance, but finds his position increasingly untenable as his employer grows more erratic and punitive.

Tom Shutt is Abner's hardworking father, an industrious and optimistic man who believes that strict discipline and honest labor will eventually yield social success. A follower of the Original Believers sect, he practices abstinence from alcohol and instills his deep trust in American corporate institutions into his young son.

Mrs. Ford is Henry's steadfast wife, who supports his early, obsessive mechanical experiments in their shed. As her husband acquires billions, she remains by his side, engaging in charitable activities to maintain a benevolent public image for the Ford family, often remaining completely insulated from the severe poverty her husband's empire creates.

Rosika Schwimmer is an idealistic peace activist from the Austro-Hungarian Empire who successfully persuades Henry Ford to charter a peace ship during World War I. She attempts to leverage Ford's vast wealth and fame to negotiate an end to the conflict, though her efforts face fierce mockery from the mainstream American press.

Joe Baggs is a promising young bookkeeper working in the Ford administration building. His early career prospects seem bright, but his working hours and wages are severely reduced during the economic crash, plunging him into hardship and forcing him to move into his in-laws' crowded home.

Fritz Kuhn is a top fascist organizer in the United States and the head of the German-American Bund. Taking advantage of Ford's immense wealth and deep-seated prejudices, Kuhn attempts to unify various American reactionary groups into a single, heavily funded movement aimed at violently suppressing labor organizations.

William J. Cameron is the former editor of Ford's anti-Semitic newspaper who later becomes the billionaire's personal secretary. He serves as a critical link between the isolated industrialist and various extremist groups, helping to sustain Ford's paranoid and prejudiced worldview by carefully curating his information.

Boris Brasol is a former agent of a reactionary Russian political group who successfully feeds Henry Ford a steady stream of fabricated conspiracy theories. By providing Ford with fraudulent documents, Brasol helps launch Ford's massive, well-funded campaign of publishing hateful propaganda.