Was Rockefeller A Robber Baron Or Captain Of Industry

During the Eighteen Nineties the United States was extremely different from how it is now. Working conditions were horrendous, people were often over promised jobs, in factories where disease spread quickly and people often suffered psychologically because of the lack of change and the continuous cycle of doing the same jobs everyday over the span of many years without any form of change. Children were forced to work which prevented them from getting a good education. Those bad working conditions had very low wages and long hours, and on top of all of that bosses usually imposed intrusive rules. Most bosses of factories and companies like this were very wealthy. Wealthy people could be considered robber barons, which are a negative term used

Rockefeller is more of a robber barron and Andrew Carnegie is more of a captain of industry. Rockefeller is more of a robber baron because of the monopoly he creates and the railroads he put out of business. Carnegie is more of a captain of industry because of the way he saved money for his companies and other companies, he also used vertical integration, he donated money to different charity groups, and he had different strategies for making things better. John D. Rockefeller is one of the richest men in his time. He was very ruthless and he knew what he had to do in order to become more successful. He didn’t care what he did to others to get what he needed to strive. When Rockefeller first started off in the oil business, he transported his oil using railroads and trains. “Railroad companies decided to set high freight rates but agreed to award substantial rebates for members of the South Improvement Company. This plan prevented price wars among railroad companies and forced smaller oil refiners to go out of business if they didn’t join the association.” This caused the standard oil company to make a

He is more of a captain of industry because he was smart. He knew what he had to do in order to be more successful. ” HE readily admitted that he understood little about making steel, but he did know how to run a business. He surrounded himself with skillful managers and drove them relentlessly.” Carnegie didn’t know anything about steel. But he went to someone who knew all about steel and he became more successful that way. He didn’t waste time he knew what he needed in order to get to his goal and he went straight for whatever he needed. Not only was he smart enough to know when he was going to need outside help, he also knew how to save money. Carnegie bought things that he knew he would need for his business that saved him more money in the future. “ Carnegie also used vertical integration to control costs—that is, he acquired companies that provided materials and services upon which his enterprises depended. ” Carnegie knew he had money but he still saved money like he wasn’t as wealthy as he really was. Also, Carnegie donated some of his money to multiple different things that now have his name on them. “During his lifetime he gave more than $350 million to various educational, cultural, and peace institutions, many of which bear his name. His first public gift was in 1873 for baths in the town of his birth; his largest single gift was in 1911 for $125 million to establish the Carnegie Corporation