As you can see, the pollution had reached such an extent that rivers were bordering between water, and sewer filth (Faraday). Major company owners such as J.P. Morgan received a bad reputation for exploiting workers, however, not all company owners were cut from the same cloth. It would have been difficult for these owners, caught up in the frenzy of commerce to be omnipresent in all of their factories at one time. As a result, an unsupervised factory owner, much like a tax collector in Biblical times, would take certain liberties, and decide to increase profit without looking to the welfare of the labor force (The Industrial Revolutionists). The preceding information might make you think that this was the worst time in human history, but the news was not all bad. New thoughts and ideas, and amazing inventions drastically decreased the cost of manufacturing many products. And, of course, inventions require inventors. This new age of scientific enlightenment and …show more content…
Born in Westborough, Massachusetts on December 8, 1765, he was the oldest child of Eli Whitney Sr. and Elizabeth Fay. At the age of 14, he was making nails in his father's workshop during the Revolutionary War. Later, he went on to invent the cotton gin to help decrease the need for slaves on cotton plantations. Ironically, this had completely the opposite effect, making cotton the cash crop of the South, and increasing the demand for slaves. While he was most famous for inventing the cotton gin, Whitney did not actually make any sizable profit from it, due to patent infringement. Whitney was also introduced the manufacture of firearms using a system of interchangeable parts, greatly decreasing the time it took to produce and repair many types of guns, including muskets and rifles. This system of interchangeable parts was adapted to drastically increase the number of products in the
Back in the gilded age, late 1800’s, there were big businessmen that changed our economy greatly: but the question is, were they really robber barons or captains of industry? These businessmen were the owners of industries that were very important economic activity in the time period. Though, they were involved in many ethically questionable practices. These practices included child labor, making illegal shortcuts, scams, and deals; plus, they also exploited many of their workers. According to the definitions of each accusation, theses businessmen of the gilded age should be considered as both robber barons and captains of industry, due to the way they have changed the economy, and also how they did so unethically.
In college he learned about the new concepts and experiments in science and the applied sciences. Applied sciences was what technology or inventions were called back then. Whitney at the ripe age of twenty-seven graduated from Yale knowing more about inventions and his interests. After graduating Whitney observed the world
If a part broke or messed up, the musket had to be taken back to the original craftsman for a new part. There was a potential war with France at that moment, so the government started looking to private contractors to supply muskets. Whitney designed interchangeable parts. These parts were able to fit with any musket. He promised to have ten thousand rifles manufactured in a two years.
Businesses began to grow due to the increase of technological innovation such as the railroad, Western expansion, and the industrialist who made them a success. Mass production, efficiency were the main goals of these booming industries as a result of the amount of abundant capital, and growing market that caused for a great need for unskilled, and semi-skilled laborers to work in the factories. Industrialist were known as “Captains of Industry” because of the great success of their businesses that helped the economy while also creating new jobs, and also known as “Robber barons” because they were often selfish, greedy, and did things for their own benefit without caring how it would affect the economy or workers. Competition was a big part of big business between the industrialist to see who’s business was the strongest, and exhibited true social darwinism which was the belief of survival of the fittest, in America. Urban labor increased by 400% by 1890 which lead to the start of horrific labor violence, and terrible working conditions.
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. John D. Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839, in Richford, New York.
This book was also written during a time of great technological innovation,
The Industrial Revolution, lasting from the late 1700s until the early 1900s, was possibly one of the greatest time periods in this world’s history. This time period caused people to think more and dream bigger. From these big dreams rose up inventors, entrepreneurs, and business owners. The Industrial Revolution brought many new inventions and production processes, but along with great new things come great terrible horrors. While some might argue that Industrialization had primarily positive consequences for society because of the new production methods and what they produced, it was actually a negative thing for society.
Technology has always been the highest regarded peak in human innovation. Throughout history, humans have strived for a perfection of the ideal utopia; to accomplish the task at hand, to reach said destination, humans sweat for easier living and lavish work environments. Many great objects have been developed for the simple cause of helping humanity; an extraordinary amount of accomplishments were met in such a small timeframe, but the most critical period is the 1920’s. Americans advanced technology to the point that led us to swim in the blue, sweet, silky sky and benevolent creamy clouds. The 20’s fulfilled the gap that was left from the findings of the past decade and helped see a new future with those sets of data.
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.
These resources helped to build parts for the steam engine. The English scientific thought also helped cause the Industrial Revolution. People discovered different ways to things to make the process more efficient. Jethro Tull invented the Horse drawn seed drill which planted seeds in straight rows with significantly less labor (Document 7).
The actions of these four businessmen in the late 1800s had overall a negative effect on society. These men were known as Robber Barons. A Robber Baron is someone who acquired a fortune in the 19th century by ruthless means. Examples of Robber Barons include JP Morgan, John Rockefeller, and Andrew Carnegie. These men gave horrible working conditions to their employees.
The life of a 19th-century industrial worker was far from easy. Even in good times wages were low, hours long, and working conditions hazardous. Trying to fix the issue, many Europeans suggested much needed solutions to this problem. Over the course of the 19th century Europeans suggested that there should be equality between men women and social classes, that there should be a peaceful reorganization of social classes, and a revolution or a change in government. During the Industrial Revolution, as more factories were being built, more people were willing to do work as long as they got paid.
This [trust] resulted in the discharge of a large number of laborers who had to suffer in consequence . . . The most distressing feature of this war of the trusts is the fact that they control the articles which the plain people consume in their daily life” (Document E). Finally, the cruel punishment of the workers in the workplace is seen in the previously mentioned, “Concentration of Industry, and Machinery in the United States,” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. “They [the labor class] reproach the machine with exhausting the physical powers of the laborer; . . . [t]hey reproach it with demanding such continued attention that it enervates, and of leaving no respite to the laborer, through the continuity of its movement . . .
In the same document William says, “The man of general science, a character so frequent amd so useful in Christian Europe, is unknown…” He goes on to talk about how the Ottoman people view innovative people and describes it as, “esteemed little better than a madman.” New technology is essential for all aspects of an
America has made a tremendous amount of advances in the world of technology and innovation throughout its time of development. What if those people that set the stage for America’s development gave up? What if they simply said “this is just getting too hard,” and decided to chose a different path for their lives. Where would America be without inventors? Thomas Edison is one of the many influential inventors of the 1800’s into the 1900’s.