augmented fivefold, which was a staggering increase, even though some scholars viewed the increase as a clear parity that created a gap between the rich and the poor. These scholars acknowledge the contribution of industrial giants such as Andrew Carnegie as well as John D. Rockefeller in revolutionizing business operations and ushering in of the contemporary corporate economy. However, the revolution sometimes affected free-market in a negative way through unfair market and economic competitions in the process. During this period, a rocket number of people were allowed and empowered to perform their voting rights.
The time between the Granger laws in 1870 and, the antitrust acts in 1900 is known as the gilded age, courtesy of Mark Twain. It was the time where business boomed and when monopolies were born. But, once looked into, these heavily influential businesses began to look more and more corrupt to the average American. These Big businesses led by so-called Robber barons, took a major part in the american economy using political corruption and bending the rules to their liking. However, the working class people didn't take kindly to such actions and formed labor unions and took political action to oppose working conditions and, political corruption.
Although many citizens viewed capitalists as “Captains of Industry,” they can also, just as easily, be seen as “Robber Barons.” Even though railroads were beneficial to society, they were not without corruption, as shown by the Credit Mobilier scandal. This was a railroad company that paid itself huge sums of money for small railroad construction. In fact, it received twenty-three million dollars in profit. Moreover, the railroad industry could be seen as completely insincere and dishonest because of its monopoles.
Entrepreneurs controlled the Gilded Age creating a growing economy with booming businesses and yet this has not changed over the years. John Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie can be compared to those with the names Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Multibillionaires, who know what the consumers desire, is what these men are best at. They knew and now know business well enough to be able to control our country’s’ economy. However, these successful business men do not do it together.
Robber barons, specifically Andrew Carnegie, an industrialist and John D. Rockefeller, a philanthropist, were the chosen, elite members of society according to the doctrine of Social Darwinism. Darwinism is when evolution occurs and the strongest organisms of an ecosystem survive and reproduce to outnumber the weaker, less fit organisms of an ecosystem. Similarly Social Darwinism follows the same concept, but in a capitalist sense of thought. Those who were able to exploit the Gilded Age’s laissez faire economy to their own benefit, like the robber barons Andrew Carnegie of Carnegie Steel and J. D. Rockefeller of Standard Oil, were the fittest members of society because they were able to survive in the grueling and ruthless free economy. By usurping all of the fresh yet unfit immigrants that were flowing into the States due to the rise of urbanization, these two men integrated these easily-manipulated people into their factories to augment their profits.
After the Civil War, the Second Industrial Revolution was established due to America’s rapid growth for industry and economics. Capitalists during the industrial period of 1875-1900’s were either accused of being a robber baron or a captain of industry. Some capitalists leaders who were accused of being a robber baron or captain of industry included J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, Andrew W. Mellon, and John D. Rockefeller. A robber baron is a business leader who gets rich through cruel and scandalous business practices. The captains of industry is a business leader who wants to better the companies in a way that it would be positively contributing to the country.
Thesis : After the Civil War, America was in a post-war boom. During the 1870-1890, big business moguls, such as Rockefeller and Carnegie, create huge corporations which not only affected the economy, but also affected the political realm of America. While many may assume that during the rise of these big business helped to change the economy and politics, the real focus was on the responses formed by society, such as labor unions, increase public outcry, and political opposition groups that helped to change society. A: Economically, big business flourished during the late 1800s.
During the Progressive Era there were multiple of changes occurring that people became overwhelmed. New resources in the oil market, industrialization, fights for equality. There were many factory jobs, however, no one to stand up for the workers. So of course people will turn to their government for help, the power house of the country. However, even the government was picky in what they helped with.
Back in the gilded age, late 1800’s, there were big businessmen that changed our economy greatly: but the question is, were they really robber barons or captains of industry? These businessmen were the owners of industries that were very important economic activity in the time period. Though, they were involved in many ethically questionable practices. These practices included child labor, making illegal shortcuts, scams, and deals; plus, they also exploited many of their workers. According to the definitions of each accusation, theses businessmen of the gilded age should be considered as both robber barons and captains of industry, due to the way they have changed the economy, and also how they did so unethically.
Social Darwinism is when only the strongest survive, during the Gilded Age this was true. Many businessmen during the time period were people who had a vision and invested time and effort to grow the economy they did what they had to do to make their company survive the economy. Some people's business did not survive because the bigger corporations took them out of business, the business that did not survive are were weak and were not strong enough to survive. It is not the bigger business fault it did not survive, the business did not survive because it could not compete with the competition. Social Darwinism is huge reason why the great industrialist are Captains of Industry.
Ford demonstrates a social Darwinist not only because he exhibits the successful outcome of someone who has ideal traits for survival, but because he encourages others who live promising lives as well. “A man’s personal advancement depended entirely and immediately upon his work” (My life and work 98). Ford always made sure that men were given a fair chance toward advancements in his factory. Those who held positions of authority started from the bottom up; they all had to work just as hard to prove their worth.
Social Darwinism favored the wealthy. Social Darwinism appealed to Protestant work ethic and supported laissez-faire policies. In Social Darwinism, is was thought that everyone could “prosper with hard work, intelligence, and perseverance.” Social Darwinism was used by men like, Andrew Carnegie. They used it to support their practices.
Underpinnings and Effectiveness of Carnegie’s “Gospel of Wealth” In Andrew Carnegie’s “Gospel of Wealth”, Carnegie proposed a system of which he thought was best to dispose of “surplus wealth” through progress of the nation. Carnegie wanted to create opportunities for people “lift themselves up” rather than directly give money to these people. This was because he considered that giving money to these people would be “improper spending”.
This theory, Social Darwinism, was applied to the monopolistic efforts of businessmen as John D. Rockefeller, Jr. so eloquently stated: “The growth of a large business is merely the survival of the fittest” (Nash p. 417). The Gospel of Wealth based on Social Darwinism is the notion that the massive wealth held by prosperous businessmen was for the social benefit of everyone. The advocates of the Gospel of Wealth such as Andrew Carnegie, Russell Conwell, and Horatio Alger linked wealth with a sense of heightened responsibility as those with more wealth had an equally great obligation to society. Each of the advocates of the Gospel of Wealth came from diverse backgrounds, but preached the same ideals.
1.0 INTRODUCTION In an economy, there exists different market structures to accommodate different industries and firms. This study will be made to understand in further depth the market power of different market structures, and in particular an example of using case studies of agricultural sector of the French markets to explain how an ideal perfectly competitive market works. This will then be further strengthened with several references linked to the case study. 1.1 Monopoly market
