Power comes from control. A small fraction of industry leaders can easily control the existence of other companies and the economy of America. In the nineteenth century, industrial leaders were classified as either Robber Barons or Captains of Industry. Robber Barons are industrialists who created monopolies and became wealthy by manipulating natural resources, corruption or unethical behaviors; they had a negative leadership style. Captains of Industry are industrialists who were seen as the great leaders that formed America’s economy; they had a positive leadership style and were appreciated for their contributions. American entrepreneurs of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, such as John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and Cornelius Vanderbilt, should be considered Robber Barons because they had total control of the natural resources, they treated their workers poorly, and had very unprofessional business and political behavior. As the United States became more advanced, more natural resources were uncovered which lead to attraction for businessmen. For example, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Vanderbilt were known for creating monopolies from the nation’s natural resources. John D. Rockefeller oil refineries monopoly controlled 90% of the oil refining industry through oil supply and …show more content…
Typically, the people who worked for companies such Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Vanderbilt businesses usually had to work gruesome long hours, earned wages as low as eight to ten dollars a week, and were subjected to very dangerous working conditions, according to U.S. History. org. Women and children were also put to work and were exploited more than the men used in these monopolies. For instance, they would work the same amount of hours and be paid a fraction compared to we men made. These events made many of these workers angry and lead to corruption in our