Captains of Industry

Andrew Carnegie was one of the wealthiest men in America but his wealth didn’t come without hard work and dedication. Carnegie was born in “Dunfermline, Scotland on November 25, 1835” (Tyle). According to Laura B. Tyle, the invention of the weaving machine unfortunately pushed Carnegie’s family in to poverty “In 1848, Carnegie’s family left Scotland and moved to Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, where his father and eventually him worked in a cotton factory” (Tyle). After leaving the cotton factory “Carnegie became a messenger boy for the Pittsburgh telegraph office and eventually made his way up to telegraph operator” (Tyle). According to Laura B. Tyle “Thomas A. Scott, the superintendent of the western division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, made Carnegie his secretary at the age of eighteen.” Later, Carnegie took over Scott’s position of the railroad. Furthermore Carnegie “began to see that steel was going to replace iron and by 1873 he organized a steel rail company” (Tyle). According to Laura B. Tyle he continued to build his company when he “cut prices, drove out competitors,

Without Carnegie, the steel industry, and the second industrial revolution in general, would never have progressed as much as it did. Carnegie did what was necessary to make the steel industry more productive and more efficient, for less money. He was a shrewd, ruthless, businessman who’s aggressiveness made the steel, railroad, and oil industries so economically successful. These characteristics, though not always looked upon as nice or sympathetic, were sometimes necessary. He had paid his time as a poor factory boy, and now it was his turn to live comfortably and aid others less fortunate to work towards the same success.

Zinn uses the term “robber barons” to show that Carnegie and Rockefeller became wealthy by unethical ways. They took control of American industry through making secret deals and driving competitors out of business. Carnegie took advantage of overseas tariffs and began producing steel, driving foreign businesses away. Carnegie also ignored unions and didn’t like them. They both worked until they had a total monopoly and they didn’t pay their workers well.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, during the climax of the American Industrial Revolution, there was a small group of men who owned the major businesses and were leaders of their industries. They owned factories, railroads, banks, and even created company towns for the sole purpose of housing their workers. Due to the efforts of these few men, the U.S. economy became the envy of the world, and America became a leading world power. They provided the public with products that were in high demand for reasonable prices, and opened their markets to countries overseas. Although many people believe the early industrialists were Robber Barons who exploited the poor, these great men were truly Captains of Industry who created new ways of doing

     True, Andrew Carnegie and John D Rockefeller may have been the most influential businessmen of the 19th century, but was the way they conducted business proper? To fully answer this question, we must look at the following: First understand how Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller changed the market of their industries. Second, look at the similarities and differences in how both men achieved domination. Third and lastly, Look at how both men treated their workers and customers in order achieve the most possible profit for their company.

America’s industrial growth during the period from 1870 to 1900 was greatly impacted by growth of large corporations that affected the economics and politics of our nation. As corporations began to grow, so did their power and influence. Their numbers grew to be so significant that they were known to be one of the major forces within the United States, with both a great amount of power and the ability to control much within the United States. Their power and influence expanded and impacted the economic and political aspects of our nation. These corporations dominated American business and defined the American culture. The Gilded Age, a term coined by Mark

Industrialists at the turn of the 20th century best deserve the title of Captains of Industry because, there have been many industrial achievements in this century. There has been a copious amount of new inventions in this century. Some of these inventions are made for entertainment, but some are made for our own conveniences. Companies have also increased their technology and machines have replaced the work that humans used to have to do, this has decreased human labor and the harshness of work. Thus, this decade deserves the title of Captains of Industry because, we have advanced society and created some places better to work in.

Whether Robber Barons or Captains of Industry, the men who shaped the U.S. industrial age left their mark in both business and philanthropy.

Was it innovation or greed and corruption that played a pivotal role in making the United States the leading industrialized nation in the world during the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, also known as the Gilded Age? In the book, Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson the author describes how greed and corruption by the United States government ultimately leads to poor decisions after a horrific disaster in 1900 [Larson]. In addition, well-researched essays by Henry Demarest Lloyd and Emma Goldman back up Larson’s theory that the Gilded Age was actually a very dark time for the United States.

Throughout American industrialization, large industries were run by some of the richest men in history. These men got the nickname “robber barons” due to their creation of large monopolies by making questionable business and government activities, and by taking advantage of their workers to succeed. But in The Myth of the Robber Barons by Burton W. Folsom, he argues against these claims, and he takes a deeper look into some of America’s richest and most successful men. By specifically looking at Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, James J. Hill, the Scranton family and many more, Folsom believed that these so-called robber barons were actually entrepreneurs with a drive to succeed, leading to an improvement in American lives.

In the chapter “One good question” in Confessions of a Radical Industrialist, author Ray Anderson (2010) alerts that even though industries (including his) were very successful in different aspects, their actions were dangerous and were mistaken.

The United States has come to be known as a major world superpower throughout history. One of the main parts of America that has contributed to its renowned strength has been its economy. The United State’s economy has been growing ever since it began. Credit for its strength and progress in development can be attributed to the financial geniuses of their time. John D. Rockefeller became an economical giant during his time when he changed the face of business by developing ground-breaking new strategies to ensure financial success. Rockefeller dramatically changed the business field during The Gilded Age. He did so through the use of his social Darwinistic philosophy of capitalism, inclusion of vertical and horizontal integration,

These men are Captains of Industry because they donated a lot of money towards great things to make impacts. Accordingly, Eastman gave scholarships and internships to engineering students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( reading ). He also promoted a program to develop a medical school and hospital at the University of Rochester ( website ). This made many impacts because now more people could go to college for engineering. If more people go to college for engineering, they could have a chance at getting a better job and then there will be more educated workers to hire. Rockefeller also made tons of donations. He founded the General Education Board to establish high schools throughout the South by providing free professional advice

The dramatic transformation of America that ensued during the Industrialist Revolution can be credited to a group of powerful men who fueled innovation, as well as implemented the concept of the “American dream” during this time period. This elite group included names that are still relevant today such as Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Vanderbilt. They revolutionized America by always being one step ahead of the economy while using the factors of industrialization to their advantage; as a result, they received a fortune that today would be the equivalent of billions of dollars. Through manipulation and unjust schemes, they created an economy that has paved the way for workers all around the world today.

“As the growth of industrial development increased so did the accumulation of massive industries and corporations”. This had changed The United States of America into being urbanized instead of being a rural area. Then many businessmen like Andrew Carnegie, John D Rockefeller, and Cornelius Vanderbilt had big industrial tycoons which had a massive benefit for them and for their society because they had an increase in mass production which ultimately changed the face of the United States of America from being a rural society into being an urban society.