During the 19th century, industrialization impacted the United States in many way. Industrialists, like John D. Rockefeller, owned or were involved in management of an industry. At the time, these agents were considered a “Robber Baron,” while others were considered a “Captain of Industry.” However, many were considered good because they were philanthropists.
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 most accurate characterization for the time period of 1875-1900’s were both
The industrial revolution brought many great inventions and innovations into the world, especially to America, the new world. The United States had many resources available and more importantly for Americans could utilize them for the nations gain. Many businessmen took advantage of this opportunity by building up their businesses and wealth to a standard that many people still look to as a standard of greatness. Many historians have their take on how the men of the industrial revolution changed not only America, but the rest of the world as well. Authors, Charles Morris, Matthew Josephson, and James Nuechterlein point out to historians that the world is full of many different angles and ideas that one can view regarding the Robber Barons or the successful men of the industrial revolution. The lifestyles of Andrew
In the past, there have been many influential economic figures in the industrial business industry. Andrew Carnegie is one of the most famous of these figures but not just in a business scheme, but also in an economic and national scheme. Andrew Carnegie is a business man that caused a major controversial issue to arise; the topic of being labeled a Robber Baron or a Captain of Industry by the public. A Robber Baron is someone who has become wealthy through heartless and unethical business actions that will only benefit the individual. On the other hand, a Captain of Industry is a business leader who has become rich by accomplishing activities that will, overall, benefit the people of the community such as expanding a market or providing more jobs. There have been many debates on which one
As industry exponentially grew after the Civil War, the need for labor and materials to power newly-created manufacturing giants caused new social classes to form: the rich corporation owners and the poor laborers. Unfathomably rich Robber Barons, or plutocratic American Capitalists, dominated the economy and industry and profited from the slave-like work of millions of poor laborers during this time period. Moreover, the poor working class and the rich further divided by distribution of wealth. Therefore, exploitation of capitalism widened the gap between the rich and poor classes of America, and both newly-formed classes developed reasons for the change.
The late nineteenth century was a pivotal moment in American history. During this time, the Industrial Revolution transformed the nation, railroads had dissipated all throughout the country, and economic classes began to form, separating the wealthy from the poor. One of the wealthiest men of this generation was Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant who fled to America to make millions off the railroad, oil and even steel businesses. Carnegie is considered one of the richest men in history, and even with all that wealth he decided to give back to the community. As a matter of fact, Carnegie donated most of his funds to charities, universities and libraries in his last few years. He believed that if the wealthy don't give back some of their profits to the community, they are living a dishonorable life, and although I didn't necessarily agree with this radical viewpoint at first, I now am a firm believer in Carnegie's argument about wealth.
As our country reached the late 1800’s, Americans found themselves face to face with era known as the ‘Gilded Age’. Companies were created and grew rapidly during this time period. Some of the most famous entrepreneurs were John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, who seemed to be the perfect models for the ‘rags to riches’ story. Many people debate which entrepreneur was a better role-model. Due to his low prices, the high demand for his products, and the way he sought to eliminate any possible competition, John D. Rockefeller is clearly the better role-model for today’s entrepreneurs.
The Gilded Age was an era that transformed from agrarian to industrialized working/businesses and goods. The Gilded Age soon came after Reconstruction and lasted from the late 1860’s to the late 1890’s. During the Gilded Age there were many businessmen that were labeled Robber Barons or Captains of Industry based on their actions of ruthlessness and monopoly or their actions of generosity and kindness. A Robber Baron is a businessman who obtained wealth through cruel manors. A Captain of Industry is a business leader who obtained wealth through positive and generous ways that had a good impact on those around them. History should remember the entrepreneurs of the 1800’s and 1900’s as Captains of Industries or Robber Barons. These entrepreneurs
The period of time after the Civil War and before World War I was a period of tremendous change in America. Although immigration is a major tenet of the United States, due to the changing economy, improvements in transportation, a shifting of the American people to the city, and deepening class divisions, industrialization was the most powerful force shaping the country between 1865 and 1914, followed by urbanization, and finally immigration.
Once, there was a man to have the largest personal fortune in the world. He helped improve mankind by donating millions of his fortune to charity. This mastermind was named Andrew Carnegie, an industrial monopolizer who used steel to gain his massive fortune.
In Andrew Carnegie’s “Gospel of Wealth”, Carnegie proposed a system of which he thought was best to dispose of “surplus wealth” through progress of the nation. Carnegie wanted to create opportunities for people “lift themselves up” rather than directly give money to these people. This was because he considered that giving money to these people would be “improper spending”. Through Social Darwinism, he hoped to dispose of the problems of: the Darwinian intellectual revolution, Eugenies, and the hierarchy of race. However his system was inherently flawed because Carnegie built this system on racism and warmongering. This system was built to rationalize why the fittest class, or the white Anglo-saxon men, were always on top.
Carnegie but he thought that more people should give to the poor. Andrew Carnegie believed that the rich should not spend the money on themselves, nor pass the money down to their children. He thought the only good way to use riches was to give to those who, even though poor, may not have deserved it. Many people are revolved around family, they want their family name to carry on and their children to succeed, so if they have the money, they want to give it to their kids. Andrew Carnegie discriminated against this idea, he believed it to be misguided, as Carnegie himself states, in North American Review, “Why should men leave great fortunes to their children? If this is done from affection, is this not misguided affection?” (Document B). Carnegie only had one child, a daughter that would inherit the Carnegie fortune when Andrew died. Perhaps Carnegie didn’t like that idea because he didn’t like the idea of someone else having his wealth. One example of this is that Carnegie wanted to get his name out into the
On the other hand, his Carnegie Steel Company also lowered wages to increase profit. (Doc D) As a philanthropist in his later years, Carnegie gave to science, world peace organizations, education, and built libraries. This political cartoon was done to show the people that people with a lot money can be good people and make the world a better place but he have to play two rolls. This political cartoon is unique because it makes a large powerful figure actually look kind and compassionate. Carnegie in his Great Double Role. Many people thought he had double sided but the only thing he wanted was equality and help, that's why he lowered his salary to help with
Andrew Carnegie had a very large impact on the making of America. He was born on November 25, 1835, and died on August 11, 1919. Carnegie had a wife, Louise Whitfield Carnegie, and a daughter, Margaret Carnegie Miller. In the early stages of Carnegie’s life, he wasn’t very wealthy, in fact, he was the complete opposite. By age 54, he had turned his life around with the help of his invention of steel. This made him one of the wealthiest men on Earth, of his era.
“People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocracy no matter how impressive their other talents were.”- Andrew Carnegie