Essay On The Differences Between Carnegie And John D Rockefeller

The end of the Civil War made way for economic opportunities. With this new gateway, three men fought to the top, gaining wealth, fame, and helping to make America the strongest and most technologically advanced nation in the world. These powerful, dedicated men were Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, and Andrew Carnegie, and if they didn’t have a hard beginning, a strong work ethic, and defeats, they may not have been the men that we honor today. Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, and Carnegie didn’t start off wealthy and famous. They had to earn it through hard work and dedication. The three men were born into poor families, having to work hard and get jobs at a young age. By age 16, Vanderbilt built a small boat with a loan of $100 in order

They had strong work ethics, and they never stepped down without a fight. Perhaps the greatest example of a strong work ethic was Vanderbilt’s. He’s a very tough and ruthless man, and he proved so when he beat men to unconsciousness to show who’s boss. Rockefeller wasn’t very different in this way, still keeping his greedy nature and proving very competitive with his neighbors, even though he disliked competition as a whole. He had a mind for efficiency, always ahead of the game and having a strong will to win. In fact, winning was Rockefeller’s favorite thing to do. While very ambitious, Carnegie was a kinder man, not nearly as callous as Rockefeller or Vanderbilt. However, he was a big risk-taker, expecting great rewards. In their own ways, the three men were able to become multi-billionaires thanks to their solid work

Defeats are what push you down, but if they are embraced, they can lift you up to an even greater height than you were before. That is exactly what happened to these men, and every other prosperous person out there. One big defeat of Vanderbilt’s was his unawareness of giving money to Erie Railroad. He lost over a billion dollars in today’s money through stocks that the railroad kept printing out, and this infuriated Vanderbilt. Another harsh blow struck him when his favorite son died in the Civil War. Rockefeller had his share of defeats as well, having to deal with rebellious workers in the factories. When he told them to work, they simply refused, and Rockefeller grew irritated with the factories, which weren’t running as efficiently as he’d like them to. However, perhaps the biggest mistake out of the three was one decision Carnegie made, and it tarnished his career for a very long time. One decision and it was hiring Henry Frick, a vile man that made sure he got what he wanted, even if it meant violence. Eventually, Carnegie believed that the two of them together seemed to work out, so Carnegie made Frick the second strongest man of the company. This didn’t prove enough for Frick, however. He wanted Carnegie’s seat at the top. Over the course of Frick’s time as the second man of the company, Frick made disastrous