Rough Draft
“I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” –John D. Rockefeller. Born on July 8th, 1839 in Richmond, New York, to a family of six children, Rockefeller would become the untold prodigy of American Industrialism. Born to a religious mother, and a con father, Rockefeller’s childhood was not so typical. When Rockefeller’s father was around, he taught him to keep a noticeable account of his money, and to always outwit his competition. At a very young age, Rockefeller started a mini entrepreneurship of his own. Selling candy, trading, and doing basic chores for neighbors is where Rockefeller got his first taste of money. Little did people know, this little boy selling candy would create the largest empire in the world, and the first monopoly of American business. At the age of 16, Rockefeller would work his first job as an assistant bookkeeper at a small produce commission firm. These rough beginnings paved a bright future
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Rockefeller most often just bought his competition out. Since he was so rich and powerful, he had the ability to lower his prices so low, that his competitors could no longer sell their goods, and were forced to sell their business to Standard Oil. Another tactic he used was purposely driving his competitors to bankruptcy. This was the most brutal. There was a case in the earlier years of Standard Oil, where he drove Cornelius Vanderbilt, the second most powerful businessman in the U.S. into the dirt. Vanderbilt controlled all transportation in America. He was the king of the railroads. Only fault was the railroads depended on the oil and kerosene industry, all of which Rockefeller owned. Through complete and utter intellect, Rockefeller thought up the use of pipelines. He would transport all of his supply through pipelines that he would build across the U.S. This made Rockefeller even more