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Heroes And Villains In The Gilded Age

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One may assume that the distinction between hero and villain would be obvious, right? At what point does an individual cross the line into the dark realm of villainy? During the American Industrial Revolution, icons rose to power and wealth through the monopolization of certain industries and at the cost of the well being of their laborers. Some consider these powerful men to have robbed their workers to make maximum profit. However, without these entrepreneurs pushing American industry forward, the country’s advancements may have lagged behind other developed nations of the period. Without the help of these leaders major advancements in transportation, the technological revolution, and the rise of the U.S. to world power status never …show more content…

What once used to be a small, combusting country, now surprised the rest of the world as it became the number one industrial nation in the world. These Captains of industry helped build an empire that would lead to world power status. In the article titled “The Gilded Age” the author, from UShistory.org, explores the impacts that these leaders had on the country as a whole. Not only did these men provide and produce some of the most technologically advanced assets of the time, but paved the way for innovation in the future. The country was now known as “the small nation once seen as a playground for European empires had now surpassed them all,” (ushistory.org). One example of how these spearheads directly influenced society can be noticed in the life of John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller, before his death donated the majority of his fortune to public services, such as: schools, medical programs, universities, and art centers. Another example, is found in the life of Andrew Carnegie. During his time in the war, he helped the wounded get to hospitals and other people get to where they needed to be. Before his death he donated more than $350 million dollars to public foundations. Remembering the difficulty of finding suitable books as a youth, he helped build three thousand libraries. He built schools and gave his money for artistic pursuits in New York. Andrew Carnegie was also dedicated to peace initiatives throughout the world because of his passionate hatred for war. Overall, these men were amazing contributors to society a well as the overall progression of the country as they made contributions that would last centuries. The donations made to help the betterment of society are what helped launch the country to the frontmost level of world

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