...A captain of industry or a robber baron? Many big business owners were considered to be one or the other. I believe that big business owners were different in their ways and there is not one definition that defines them all. Many big business owners were captains of industry but there were many that were robber barons. Andrew Carnegie, for example, was a captain of industry. Carnegie was an immigrant from England that lived his life off the “pennies in his pocket.” Carnegie decided to invest heavily in steel after seeing a new method of making steel called the Bessemer process which he picked up in England and brought with him to America. Carnegie began to form the Carnegie Steel Company. Carnegie was defined as a captain of industry because...
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...Who were the “Robber Barons?” How did they work to concentrate wealth and reform capitalism? How could they be called “Robber Barons” by many, and “Captains of Industry,” by a few? In what ways were they both? Throughout history there have been very important men who have had a big impact on our industries. Without these men we would not have some of the greatest industries we have today. Men like Cornelius Vanderbilt, John Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie. These men were some of the richest men in their times, they each were very successful business men. Cornelius Vanderbilt made his fortune off of steam ships and railroads. John Rockefeller controlled the oil companies. J.P. Morgan was a successful banker and investor whose company J.P. Morgan & co is still around today. Andrew Carnegie took over the steel industry making him one of the richest men in the world when he died. (Zinn Ch 10 & 11) All these men were successful and could be called Captains of Industry but at the same time were also known as Robber Barons. In this essay I will be giving a brief history of each of those men and in what industry he made his fortune. I will also explain how each one had different aspects of their life that made people think of them as Robber Barons. Finally I will talk about how they can be considered to be both Robber Barons and Captains of Industry. The dictionary has two definitions for a Robber Baron. The first is “an American capitalist of the latter part...
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...Captains of Industry? Or Robber Barons? [pic] Overview: The thirty years plus, following the end of the Civil War, is often referred to as the “Gilded Age”. This was a term coined by Mark Twain, the most renowned American writer of the period. It refers to a superficial period of intense economic growth. During this time, businessmen created large business organizations known as trusts. The ingenuity of these entrepreneurs earned the titles of “Captains of Industry”. Yet, their ruthlessness in building wealth at the expense of their competitors, workers and consumers often earned them the title “Robber Baron”. This DBQ (Document Based Questions) asks you to decide whether these businessmen were “Captains of Industry” or “Robber Barons”. Background Essay During the post-Civil War period, an era commonly referred to as the Gilded Age, the economy of the United States grew at a fantastic rate. With the exception of a recession during the mid-1870s, and another during the mid-1890s, the economic growth was in unprecedented in United States history. Manufacturing output increased by 180 percent. Railroads, an important catalyst of growth, increased in miles by 113 percent. Steel production grew to over 10,000,000 tons per year by 1900. Every aspect of the American economy expanded from traditional activities to new enterprises brought about by the huge influx of cutting-edge technological inventions. The gross national product almost doubled during the period and the per...
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...Billy Rudnik Silverman U.S. History 1 5/14/16 Late 19th Century Tycoons Assignment Several nineteenth-century industrialists are debated as both "captains of industry" and "robber barons". These include people such as J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, Andrew W. Mellon, and John D. Rockefeller. The term “Robber Baron”combines the concept of a criminal robber with an illegitimate aristocrat baron and means becoming wealthy by unethical means. For example. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company of Ohio controlled 90 percent of the refining business. Rockefeller reaped huge profits by paying his employees extremely low wages and driving his competitors out of business by selling his oil at a lower price than it cost to produce it. Then, when...
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...The American industrialists changed the faces of American corporations. They aided the United States in becoming economically successful, motivated other businesses to strive more, and provided jobs to lower classes. American industrialists such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan were more captains of industry rather than robber barons. American industrialists were captains of industry, or industrialists who benefitted society, because they have made the United States more economically successful. For example, during a decline in silver prices, investors were encouraged to trade their silver dollars for gold dollars. The bars of gold stored by the United States Treasury fell to a dangerously low level, and President Grover...
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...During the late 1800’s, a group of innovative businessmen would change America’s standing in the world forever. Some of these men were Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan and many more who contributed to industrial and economic change in the United States. They were not remembered as heroes by everyone. Some believe that their monopolizing ideas and ways of crushing their competition made them out to be “Robber Barons” rather than ¨Captains of Industry¨. They received a bad name because their success and the money they made, was at the expense of the working class. They revolutionized the American industrial system and boosted America’s place as a national manufacturing power, while also monopolizing businesses and hurting the working class. Where you find wealth, you'll find that the land contains monopolies. The Captains of Industry made money and revolutionized the American industrial system, boosted America’s place as a national manufacturing power, increased the standard of living in America by creating many jobs, and generously gave away their own money to various charities and organizations. There are multiple reasons why these big businessmen should be remembered as “Captains of Industry”. One example is their generosity towards the...
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...people and workers would put him more in the category of a Robber Baron. In our text the is a nice with up help us understand what kind of man John Rockefeller was, “[Rockefeller’s company] killed its rivals, in brief, by getting the great trunk lines to refuse to give them transportation. Vanderbilt is reported to have said that there was but one man—Rockefeller—who could dictate to him”—H. D. Lloyd, The Atlantic, 1881 But I have to admit people change throughout their life, and Rockefeller did something that was quite astounding. He gave $500 million dollars to charity upon his death. I find that very impressive for a man with his reputation. “He was the first American to ever be worth over...
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...Josh Jensen Mr Myer US History – 3rd Per. November 5th, 2015 Captains of Industry When you think of our history’s men of success, you think of people like John D. Rockefeller and Cornelius Vanderbilt. These men were widely successful in their businesses, and as a result accumulated huge amounts of profits for themselves. But it has been debated throughout history whether or not they are considered “Robber Barons” or “Captains of Industry”. What this is essentially asking is whether or not they stole gave back or stole more from society in the 1850’s. I believe that the leading industrialists of the 19th and early 20th centuries were “Captains of Industry” because they gave back to the community, and provided jobs. First, let’s talk about...
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...Andrew Carnegie was born November 25, 1835. He was born in Dunfermline, United Kingdom. He was a Scottish-American industrialist who became a very wealthy owning an American steel industry in the late 1800s. Before accomplishing that he worked many different railroad jobs. He got his first job when he was only 13 years old, making 1.20 per week. Then around 1889 he became owner of Carnegie Steel Corporation, which was the largest of its kind in the world. After becoming the richest man in world he retired to pursue being more of a philanthropic person. He founded the Carnegie Institution, teachers with a $10 million donation and he also wanted to give money to support education and reading. While working for the railroad, Carnegie began making investments. He made many wise choices and found that his investments, especially those in oil, brought in substantial returns. In 1865 He left the railroad industry to focus on his other business interests. By the next decade, most of Carnegie's time was dedicated to the steel industry. His business, which became known as the Carnegie Steel Company, revolutionized steel production in the United States. Carnegie built plants around the country, using technology and methods that made manufacturing steel easier, faster and more productive....
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...Robber Barons Nikki Jakus – 5th In 1859, Frederick Douglass delivered a lecture in which h explained America's success as the effect of men's drive to conquer each new frontier they were faced with, whether it was the mysterious West, or the struggle for land and resources. They used theses invisible walls as motivation to fuel their drives in building a new nation from nothing. Thus the American Dream was born. These men, those who, born with none of the advantages/privileges of others yet managed to become great successes through their own hard work and determination, became known as Self Made Men. Rugged, independent, and driven: they became pioneers of their time. They lead the way in progress and innovation during the Gilded age. One of history's best know examples of a Self Made Man is Andrew Carnegie, the Steel king . Born in Scotland to hand loom weavers, his family immigrated to America when the mechanization of the cotton industry put them out of work. They settled down in Allegheny, PA where Carnegie worked as an errand boy in a textile mill to support his financially struggling family. He soon gained a job in a telegraph office where he proved himself dedicated when he memorized addresses and names. When his father died he was left the sole supporter of his family at age 20. With little education, Carnegie taught himself at the library and night school. While in the telegraph industry, he proposed new ideas that increased profit in Railways and communication...
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...K-Sean Burrell April 24, 2013 HIS 152 Were the nineteenth century entrepreneurs Robber barons or captains of industry? Captains of Industries played a major role in the economic development of the United States during the late nineteenth century. Persevering from poverty, powerful industrialists such as John Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and Cornelius Vanderbilt became the utmost wealthiest businessmen in America. Driven by one motive, wealth, these men were able to control entire sectors of the economy. Interestingly, this process created new jobs, increased the availability of goods, and monetary donations towards the welfare of the people helped establish libraries, museums and colleges. Each individual is a “captain of industry” because they positively advanced establishments leading to great success for American society. Revolutionizing the petroleum industry, John D. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870 which helped businesses such as the railroad with their tariff flow. John D. Rockefeller was a genius businessman with an ambition for success. Rockefeller was able to reduce his competition by inventing new ideas such as “quantity discount”, which would charge less if the customer bought more. Rockefeller could persuade individuals to purchase his oil instead of competitors because it appeared cheaper. Quoted by John D. Rockefeller in an interview with William Hoster “I believe the power to make money is a gift of God ... to...
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... Captains of history or Robber barons? The capitalist who shaped industrial America made the southern industry more developed. Although it shaped society for us today the capitalist went about it the wrong way. Industrialization was often introduced as beneficial to all, profitable even in history. In document I “John D. Rockefeller , testimony to the U.S. Industrial commission, before the house of representatives, 1899.” It says “their chief advantages are:… power to give the public improved products at less prices and still make a profit for stockholders…” this discusses the advantages that the industrial oil company has and how beneficial it was to the public. To add some reality to this there were flaws with industrialization an example is in document H “Clement Studebaker, manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles, testimony to Chicago Conference on Trusts, 1899” it says “No true monopoly is possible in this country..” The way this quote was perceived was that in this country there was no big money guaranteed. The capitalist were corrupt “Robber Barons”. Industrializing was hard work but not for the capitalists. As in many cases in the south the wealthy had it easy and the poor had it hard and now children were mistreated as well. The wealthy class was considered the superior to the poor. They were the bosses and they benefited a lot from the industrialization of the south. The wealthy had to share their “knowledge” with the poor. Document C “Andrew Carnegie...
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...had grown up in poverty were becoming rich and the social classes of many were changing. Capitalism was born as businessman rushed into ways of growing their companies. With different perspectives, Historians truly view the leaders of the business in different forms. For one, some believe the leaders to be “robber barons;” in other words, it means that the leader had built their fortune by stealing from the public and driving competition into ruin. Nevertheless, some believed the leaders to be “captains of industry,” implying they were fair to the nation and in raising productivity, expanding markets, and establishing public structures. One of these leaders was John D. Rockefeller, a man who became one of the richest men in America in the oil business. As the leader of the Standard Oil Company, Rockefeller had much to give to the public and charities to benefit humanity as his goal. Another one of these leaders in Andrew Carnegie, a man who expanded the real of the steel business and also gave muc to the public. Much of Carnegie’s share to public eye went to education and public structures. Nevertheless, behind these nice images, they remain to be addressed as “Robber Barons” by...
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...Josephson's and Brand's historical interpretations of business leaders who rose to prominence between 1865 and 1900 greatly differed. Josephson described these men as aggressive and lawless sometimes, and he said that nearly all of them did not act with morals. Josephson even referred to these business leaders as robber barons which are "attributed to any successful businessman or woman whose practices are considered unethical or unscrupulous." Staff, Investopedia. “Robber Barons.” Investopedia, 7 Apr. 2005, www.investopedia.com/terms/r/robberbarons.asp. In contrast, Brands described these men as innovative and creative, and he even called them captains of industry. So, he had a more positive view of them than that of Josephson's. One...
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...Jenny Ulery 01/12/15 5th Ch. 16 Study Questions - America’s Gilded Age: 1870-1890 1. The American economy thrived because of federal involvement, not the lack of it. How did the federal government actively promote industrial and agricultural development in this period? BE SPECIFIC. The federal government actively promoted industrial and agricultural development. It enacted high tariffs that protected American industry from foreign competition, granted land to railroad companies to encourage construction, and used the army to remove Indians form western land desired by farmers and mining companies. 2. Why were railroads so important to America’s second industrial revolution? What events demonstrate their influence on society, politics, and the economy? Spurred by private investment and massive grants of land and money by federal, state, and local governments, the number of miles of railroad track in the US tripped between 1860 and 1880 and tripled again by 1920, opening vast new areas to commercial farming and creating truly national market for manufactured goods. The growing population formed an ever-expanding market for the mass production, mass distribution, and mass marketing of goods, essential elements of a modern industrial economy. The railroads created 5 transcontinental lines and 4 times zones throughout the nation. 3. Why did organized efforts of farmers, workers, and local reformers largely fail to achieve substantive change in the Gilded Age...
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