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Robber Barons And Rebels
1865 to 1890 robber barons
Robber Barons And Rebels
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Robber Barons And Rebels
1865 to 1890 robber barons
Robber Barons And Rebels
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Robber Barons And Rebels
Was John D. Rockefeller a robber baron? I’d say so. Through ruthless business tactics and exploitation of workers, he made a fortune in his lifetime. In this paper, I’m going to be talking about said business tactics and exploitation. If you believe Rockefeller was just a good business man who donated to the poor, I hope your view will be changed by the end.
John D Rockefeller becomes one of the most influential and notorious men of the Gilded Age through his ambitious attitude. He ushered in a new way of economics for America. He is one of the most famous robber barons because of his outstanding business strategies in oil. He is very successful and “by the early 1880s controlled some 90 percent of U.S. refineries and pipelines.” (1) John D Rockefeller becomes one of the most famous men of his time through his advancements in money and oil.
His work, The Tycoons: How Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould, and J. P. Morgan Invented the American Supereconomy, allows readers to see a more picture perfect outlook on what the lives of these men entitled. Morris’s book was published in 2005, which allows readers to get a perspective from a long period of time and closer to reality rather than other historians writing on this era. The last author that allows readers to view the Robber Barons in a different manor is James Nuechterlein in his journal article Gifts of the “Robber Barons.” Nuechterlein wrote this article in 2007 allowing readers to view the men through historical resources that he uncovered. His stance shows a more balanced approach to the Robber Barons rather than saying one or the other was a better man than the other.
While some industrialists were referred to as "captains of industry" due to their significant contributions to the growth and development of the American economy, ultimately, their actions and methods of acquiring wealth and power, such as their monopolistic practices and corruption/bribery, classify them as "robber barons" who prioritized their self-interests over the well-being of society and the economy. The manipulation of markets ultimately ruins the natural flow of the market and results in many advantages for very few already wealthy individuals. John Pierpont Morgan, better known as J.P. Morgan., was an extremely successful industrialist who eventually merged his business with his father's company to form J.P. Morgan and Company. Through
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.
The captains of industry believed that the poor people were inferior to the rich people. The rich were superior because they had “wisdom, experience, and the ability to administer”. The duty of a rich person was to help out a poor person which was what was said in the Gospel of Wealth. The Gospel of Wealth is about how the rich person's responsibility is philanthropy. Carnegie believes in charity work so he would donate to libraries, and universities and schools and etc.
Robber Baron or Captain of Industry? This is the ultimate question. There are several major business leaders that were very successful is the late 19th Century. One of the successful leaders is J. Pierpont Morgan. Many people around the United States view J. Pierpont Morgan differently and think about him in different ways.
I think that these three men are captains of industry because, they are Philanthropists. One reason is because Eastman donated millions of dollars to a variety of causes, and he opened up a whole new world, movies. Another reason is Rockefeller donated millions of dollars to a variety of causes, and he teamed up with his brother and 2 other men and established the Standard Oil Company. I think Morgan is a Philanthropist because he loaned the federal government more than 60 million dollars. These three men (Eastman, Rockefeller, and Morgan) are Captains of industry because they are
Barons such as Andrew Carnegie, J.P Morgan, and John Rockefeller dominated the country through the enormous wealth that they amassed. The power that these individuals wielded was unfathomable. They even bought the presidency. It was through their combined might that William McKinley was elected. This pushed their power and wealth to even greater heights.
Eastman, Morgan, Rockefeller and Carnegie were overall Captains of Industries. Even though they treated their workers poorly they all donated lots of money to churches, schools and many more places. But most importantly they made big impacts on the society. They were all innovations, innovations are the creating of a new idea, method or product. Some evidence from the article and websites we read are Eastman developed film (article).
Was Cornelius Vanderbilt a Robber Baron or Captain of Industry? A cruel businessman or an industrious leader? Henry J. Raymond believed that Vanderbilt was “a monopolist that crushed other competitors”(T.J Stiles). While he is also deemed one of America’s leading businessmen, and is also credited for helping shape the United States. His fortunes were made unfairly in some cases but his million dollar contribution to the Navy was very generous.
John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie were abundantly similar when it came to traits that made them sucessful in business endeavors. They both rose from extreme povery and disadvantage as children. Limitations did not exist when it came to their inner core of ruthlessness exhibited at times against their competitors and even their employees. They took complete control of every detail of their business and ran it with a prerogative to control a large part of the American economy.
John D. Rockefeller gave away $540 million dollars before his death at the age of 97. With this money he created two, of the world's greatest research companies and helped pull the American South out of poverty. Without Rockefeller’s gracious donations to our country through education, medical, and donations to help our country, he most definitely was a Captain of Industry which helped our country get to where we are today. Captain of Industry is a fancy term of saying that this person has helped our country thrive and get to where we are today. John D. Rockefeller is a prime example of a great leader and a captain of industry, without him we would not have the successful oil business we have today.
The industrialists were captains of industry. I think this because they benefit our society and moved our economy. First, they were captains of industry because they overall benefitted our society. The competition they engaged in drove down prices for consumers.
Robber Barons and Captains of Industry Some might believe that the businessmen of the Gilded age are robber barons because of how some of them treated their workers and spent their money. The businessmen of the Gilded Age were captains of industry because of the impact that they made on the country. Carnegie, Rockefeller, Morgan, and Vanderbilt all have done things that can identify them as captains of industry. These businessmen gave their time and effort to help the economy grow.