Henry Ford: Robber Baron Or Captain Of Industry

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”.

He spent the last part of his life giving away millions of dollars. He donated funds to build more than 3,000 public libraries and he funded the Tuskegee and Carnegie Institutes. In his book, The Gospel of Wealth, he described the importance of charitable giving for the public good. These actions instantly changed Andrew Carnegie from a robber baron to a captain of industry.

With this new influx of workers and business, numerous so called “Captains of Industry" were born. Men such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller were men who came from nothing, but made fortunes off their innovations in the steel and oil industries. While their actions greatly benefitted the American economy, their monopolistic desires earned them a sinister reputation. These captains both had a disdain for competition and would do everything in their power to eliminate or absorb any opponents in order to gain more influence.

Andrew Carnegie, captain of industry or a robber baron? The answer is surprisingly basic. Carnegie was a captain of industry and this is obvious, between his come up to his passing it creates a clear picture of a man who wanted to advance society. Now I won't discredit the fact that some may see him as a robber baron due to his ruthlessness in the field of business or how he didn't give enough pay to his workers, but if you think about it just a little bit he was a businessman meaning he had to make decisions that at the end of the day benefitted him and his business. I have 3 main points as to why he was a captain of industry.

He set the standard for a respectable and smooth running company. He is credited with mass producing the first widely available and affordable automobile, the Ford Model T. It was a cheap and easy to produce alternative to older automobiles, that were almost exclusively owned by the rich and elite. This allowed for everyday men and women to have the luxury that only the wealthy had before this time in our nation’s history. He is most recognized for is his implementation of the assembly linee, and of the first to create such a time and cost efficient process for making and selling automobiles.

In the year of 1852, the industrious skill and dedication of a young twelve-year-old boy named Andrew Carnegie captivated Thomas A. Scott of the Pennsylvania Railroad. 1 Awed by his diligence, Scott immediately hired and made Carnegie his personal telegrapher.2 With a “rags to riches” background that inspired others to work hard for the American Dream, Carnegie knew exactly how the less fortunate felt when they were compared to the wealthy. Noticing how society achieved social, economic, and political equality before industrialization, Carnegie shared his intake on America’s momentous shift from an agrarian society to an industrial society in the late

Today transportation has never been easier with the invention of the car or automobile. These 3000-4000 pounds of metal is the main methods of transportation for America. Whether it be by taxi, bus, or even by your own car you bought yourself going to your destination. However, none of this would be possible if it was not for Henry Ford in a free enterprise system. The free enterprise system allowed Henry Ford to create a product that allowed all of the lower class and upper class to afford an automobile.

These individuals effect on society is debated. Some view them as cold-hearted “robber barons” that dominate the economy for personal gain. John D. Rockefeller, owner of the Standard Oil Company, for example, is known for his harsh business tactics and use of horizontal integration to acquire a monopoly over the industry. Others see them as generous philanthropists. For instance, Andrew Carnegie, the owner of U.S. Steel Corporation, though extremely rich, was incredibly charitable and often donated his wealth to public institutions.

A Captain of Industry is used to describe a successful businessman. Carnegie created an efficient steel industry. He did this by, converting iron into steel and built a new steel plant for his company called, Carnegie Steel Company. In the excerpt, “Who was Andrew Carnegie,” the author says, “Carnegie changed huge batches of iron into steel, which was much more flexible than brittle iron. Carnegie threw his own money into the process and even borrowed heavily to build a new steel plant near Pittsburgh.”

Henry Ford had a positive impact on America due to his invention of the universal Model T, creation of high efficient assembly lines on automobile manufacturing, improvements on workers’ treatment in the factory, and making the car part of people’s everyday life. During his youth, he took an apprentice job which taught him many skills including operating steam engines. Moreover, it increased his knowledge on machines, facility for leadership, and a habit of learning by trial and error, which all contributed to his success. During his lifetime, Ford had many accomplishments that contributed greatness to America in many aspects. Ford established the Ford Motor Company, one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world.

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.

Henry Ford created the Assembly Line, leading to the First Automobile being created. The Assembly Line created a way of transportation for people to go anywhere without walking or riding animals like camels (in certain places in the world), horses, and cattle, making it faster and easier to travel around. Walking everywhere became a problem because it took forever and people spent lots of money on hotel costs and cost for food, water, maybe clothes, and other necessities. Even though walking everywhere is healthy, walking to much can destroy our inner self and make you dehydrated. Getting out to walk like 60 to 120 minutes a day will be good enough in order for you to be at a healthy state.

Barons such as Andrew Carnegie, J.P Morgan, and John Rockefeller dominated the country through the enormous wealth that they amassed. The power that these individuals wielded was unfathomable. They even bought the presidency. It was through their combined might that William McKinley was elected. This pushed their power and wealth to even greater heights.

Henry Ford was an american industrialist and the owner of one of the biggest automobile companies in the world, The Ford Motor Company. Henry grew up a farmer but was always searching for something more in life. He had a love for mixing things, and constructing new technology, which resulted in him created cars and trucks. Henry Ford lived from July 30th, 1863 until April 7th, 1947. He was born new Dearborn, Michigan.

Henry Ford was an entrepreneur who founded the Ford Motor Company in June of 1903 and grew it into a very successful business. He achieved this through free enterprise, an economic system which places few restrictions on business activities and ownership. This system allowed Ford to begin his company without restrictions from the government either preventing him from establishing it or from limiting his success. It not only helped Ford to achieve his goals in business, but it has also helped many other entrepreneurs as well. The free enterprise system has been a necessary component in allowing people, such as Henry Ford, to start, grow, and own their own businesses.