Cornelius Vanderbilt: Captain of Industry When America began its journey into industry, the country immediately flourished. Inundated with immigrants, factories were easily staffed; jobs were given out to any individual who wanted one. However, some of these large industrial companies flourished more than others. Cornelius Vanderbilt, for example, became one of the richest men in the country. Many Americans believe that business owners like Vanderbilt should be given the name “Robber Barons” because of their great accomplishments; however, in contrast, others like to deem them as America’s “Captains of Industry”.
The late 19th century was full of growth, production, and business. People were craving power and seemed to achieve this through any means necessary. Consequently, a new business elite formed consisting of the richest men alive. The way in which these individuals acquired all their profits is something very contradictory even over one-hundred years later. Some historians characterize these businessmen as “robber barons” who used extreme methods to control and concentrate wealth and power, and being supported by multiple sources, this statement is justified but only to some extent.
These men reaped high profits at their workers expense. The robber barons were able to get rid of their competition by selling products at a much cheaper price than their competitors. This of course was possible due to the abuse towards their workers, and the monopoly they were then able to create. Once there was no competitors,
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.
The robber barons did everything they can to keep wealth. These men acted like they were helping the people but the truth is they were helping themselves not the society. They forced the society by charging out difficult rates, and discriminating against small businessmen. In American politics, the
Some historians have characterized the industrial and business leaders of the 1865—1900 period as "robber barons," who used extreme methods to control and concentrate wealth and power. This is shown very prevalent in this historical information through economic relations with power as well as striving for both political and social control. Robber Barons were extremists who used tactics to become the apex of the wealth pyramid. For example, William Vanderbilt, father of Cornelius Vanderbilt, used strategies to become the number 1. Monopolizing huge industries through the formation of trusts, running competitors out of business, paying low wages, these were just some methods that Robber Barons would use.
The growth and resulting conflicts of these three eras, Reconstruction, The Settlement of the West, and the Gilded Age, are primarily positive. During Reconstruction alone, laws such as the Reconstruction Act and the 13-15th amendments (the Equal Rights amendments), which banned and reduced the results of racial discrimination. Slaves like Henry McNeal Turner had wanted to be considered people, and they were getting their moment in the sun. African Americans were no longer considered slaves and treated like useless objects. They were being accepted in the united states.
During Americas Gilded Age there were many different types of issues society had to work through. There were conflicts of many different shapes and sizes; including everything legal, political, social and anything that exists between these broad topics. On controversial topic that encompasses all of these subjects and echoes through out the whole were labor unions. How scandalous was in for the labor force of America to believe that they had the right to ask for a stake in the American dream? The immigrants starting there unions were seen as, “‘ great sticklers for high wages, small production and strikes”.
The period after Reconstruction, the last few years of the nineteenth century, was known as the “Gilded Age”. The “Gilded Age” was named by Mark Twain in 1873 and was a period of transformation in the economy, government, technology, and social customs of the U.S. The transformation lead to a more modern society which was once small regional communities. Congress continued to reform the west which meant redistributing land that was owned by Indians. This caused great conflict that involved many wars.
In the Gilded Age, the division of power was more prominent than ever. It caused people of lower wealth to suffer financially and physically, leading to a harmful, stagnant society. Because of the low-paying jobs that were offered only to the people of the lower class, it made it financially impossible for the “poor” to elevate into the middle and upper classes. As depicted in the political cartoon titled “ The Protectors of Our Industries”, “cloth workers averaged $9 a week, linen workers averaged $11 a week, and lumber workers averaged $6 a week, all while providing for their families, who in relation to the rich had more people to take in account for.
After World War II, the United States of America had the most thriving economy in the world. The USA’s economy was nicknamed as the ‘Golden Age’ because of how well it was. This growth period lasted from 1945 to 1965. President Dwight D. Eisenhower is mostly responsible for this growth. Eisenhower was the 34th president.
The Golden Age emerged after the Persians were defeated in war. It laid the foundations of western civilization where advancements in areas such as art, literature, poetry and philosophy were made. One circumstance that led to the end of the Athenian Golden Age was the murderous war between Athens and Sparta ( Barrett, n,d). During the time of the Golden age the two most powerful city states were Athens and Sparta. Athens wanted to be stronger and Sparta wanted to weaken Athens.
Many places in the world have experienced a time of peace and prosperity due to new ideas, discoveries, and advances in technology. These thriving periods of time are called Golden Ages. A Golden age occurs when economy is flourishing and there is no violence in the society or war with another region. The Gupta Empire in India and the Roman Empire are important examples of Golden Ages in the history of the world. From 320-550 CE, The Gupta Empire was an influential time period and showed an excellent example of a Golden Age.
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.
Why the Elizabethan Age was Called “Golden Age” ? Elizabethan age was named after Queen Elizabeth the first, she was an illegitimate child, after the death of all of her siblings she claimed the throne at the age of 25 and held it for 44 years. She loved England greatly which inspired people to have unbounded patriotism that is exult in the poetry of Shakespeare and Spenser. In that era, the economic conditions had settled, therefore, they became interested in literature as a source of leisure. As a result, literature had reached the highest point of its development which effected the English literature.
