Was John D. Rockefeller a robber baron? I’d say so. Through ruthless business tactics and exploitation of workers, he made a fortune in his lifetime. In this paper, I’m going to be talking about said business tactics and exploitation. If you believe Rockefeller was just a good business man who donated to the poor, I hope your view will be changed by the end.
Carnegie had his first job at the age of 12 working in a cotton factory, but still was smart enough to know that he still needed an education. He continued to go to highschool. At the age 14 Carnegie became a messenger boy in the local Pittsburgh telegraph office. His help was needed by Thomas A. Scott, the superintendent of the western division of the Pennsylvania Railroad. So Carnegie became his secretary.
Here is a few reasons why all four of these businessmen Andrew Carnegie, George Eastman, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan were all Captains of Industry and why they also donated millions of dollars. Here are the reasons why these 4 businessmen donated millions of dollars (Philanthropist). A reason why Eastman was a Captain of Industry was that he donated money and scholarships/internships to engineering students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A reason why Rockefeller was a Captain of Industry was that he donated to the Rockefeller’s fortune peaked in 1912 at almost $900,000,000, but by that time already gave away hundreds of millions of dollars. A reason why Morgan was a Captain of Industry was that he loaned more than 60
During the late 19th century, there was a growth in industrialization. This brought new opportunities for the poor and the rich. For example, Carnegie helped build the steel industry in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, which made him one of the richest man in the world. As Carnegie gained more wealth, he questioned who money should be given to. Carnegie was both a Robber Baron and a Captain of Industry.
Robber barons, specifically Andrew Carnegie, an industrialist and John D. Rockefeller, a philanthropist, were the chosen, elite members of society according to the doctrine of Social Darwinism. Darwinism is when evolution occurs and the strongest organisms of an ecosystem survive and reproduce to outnumber the weaker, less fit organisms of an ecosystem. Similarly Social Darwinism follows the same concept, but in a capitalist sense of thought. Those who were able to exploit the Gilded Age’s laissez faire economy to their own benefit, like the robber barons Andrew Carnegie of Carnegie Steel and J. D. Rockefeller of Standard Oil, were the fittest members of society because they were able to survive in the grueling and ruthless free economy. By usurping all of the fresh yet unfit immigrants that were flowing into the States due to the rise of urbanization, these two men integrated these easily-manipulated people into their factories to augment their profits.
Throughout the late 1800s, many people grew tremendously in wealth. Most people started businesses or expanded railroads which required a lot of money. This start the idea of robber barons or captains of industry; while there were some people who would collect the money for themselves there were many people who gave back and did some great things for America. Therefore, industrialists of the 1860s-1900s were more rightly called Captains of Industry than robber barons. John D. Rockefeller, James Fisk, and Henry Flanger are some great examples of Captains of Industry.
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.
Olivia Strzalka 10/19/15 The wave of industrialism, in the 1800s and 1900s, was driven by men that ruled over American industry. These two men, most commonly known as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller, used strategies and tactics that made some people think of them as robber barons while others had a more positive outlook and believed they were captains of industry. Robber barons referred to people who used unfair business practices. On the contrary, captains of industry were entrepreneurs who took risks developing the new inventions and technology during the era of the Industrial Revolution.
George Eastman, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan were Captains of Industry. One reason these four men were Captains of Industry was that they all donated millions of dollars a lot of different charities. They were called philanthropists because they donated a lot of money to help people. George Eastman gave generously to the Eastman School of Music. Her also gave money for scholarships, and internships to engineering students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
John D. Rockefeller gave away $540 million dollars before his death at the age of 97. With this money he created two, of the world's greatest research companies and helped pull the American South out of poverty. Without Rockefeller’s gracious donations to our country through education, medical, and donations to help our country, he most definitely was a Captain of Industry which helped our country get to where we are today. Captain of Industry is a fancy term of saying that this person has helped our country thrive and get to where we are today. John D. Rockefeller is a prime example of a great leader and a captain of industry, without him we would not have the successful oil business we have today.
Rockefeller has made an impact on the industrial revolution by changing and monopolizing the oil industry to bigger and better ideas. His funding to major organizations and schools, and motivation towards younger generations to push forward with his
Eastman, Morgan, Rockefeller and Carnegie were overall Captains of Industries. Even though they treated their workers poorly they all donated lots of money to churches, schools and many more places. But most importantly they made big impacts on the society. They were all innovations, innovations are the creating of a new idea, method or product. Some evidence from the article and websites we read are Eastman developed film (article).
During the Gilded Age america’s industry economy exploded generating opportunities for individuals but also leaving many farmers and workers struggling. Industrial leaders such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller revolutionized business and ushered in the modern corporate economy, but
The purpose of this essay is to compare a modern day industrialist to an industrialist from the gilded age. Both Bill Gates and John D. Rockefeller are famous for being hugely successful entrepreneurs who changed their particular industries. Rockefeller is known as one of the richest people in history, he is well-known for his work in the oil industry, and Gates is best known for co-founding Microsoft and starting the personal computer era. Microsoft is a corporation that produces operating systems and computer hardware that Gates created with his partner Paul Allen. John D. Rockefeller became the world’s first billionaire after founding his company Standard Oil in 1863.
The men who built America also know the innovator is a docudrama and directed by Patrick Reams and Ruan Magan. This movie focuses on the life of Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan and Henry Ford, and how their innovation and leadership skills renovated the modern society. But for the purpose of this assessment my research is based on John D Rockefeller and his leadership skills. Short History of John D. Rockefeller John D Rockefeller was born in 1839 in New York to Bill and Eliza Rockefeller. From a very young age his father taught him to be smart and cunning in every deal, and also not to trust anyone in his life including his father and His mother was a fervent Baptist and tried to instill in him the importance of being a good Christian.
