“Not a word about that misguided woman… If I step on that worm I will call attention to it, … if I ignore it, it will disappear.”(Treckel) These words were spoken by, none other than, John D. Rockefeller concerning Ida Tarbell. Here he refers to her as a worm and calls her an “it.” Rockefeller believes that if he ignores her writing that she will just simply go away. She doesn’t. And because of her persistent writing on the issue of his standard oil trust in The History of the Standard Oil Company, Ida destroys one of the “world’s greatest philanthropist(s)” (Treckel). Ida Tarbell was one of the most influential muckrakers of the Progressive Era, who took down John Rockefeller and made a lasting impression on the world by doing so. Ida Minerva Tarbell was born in the tiny village of Hatch Hollow, Erie County, Pennsylvania. During her childhood, her family was left devastated when the …show more content…
As pronounced best by Mr. McClure (the owner of McClure’s Magazine), “You are today the most generally famous woman in America” (Genisheimer). Ida Tarbell helped strengthen the government’s case against John Rockefeller’s company as well as other oil companies with her journalism. In November of 1906, the United States federal government charged many oil monopolies and trusts with violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. A company called the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey and its many trustees were found guilty of constructing trusts and monopolies (which were prohibited under law). She eventually helped return competition to business in America (Treckel). But, the two-volume work did much more than just become prevalent and encourage America to do something about trusts and trust owners; it paralyzed the man she criticized with fear. America’s first billionaire slept with a gun and had security with him while he preached on Sundays (he was a pastor of a church were he lived) (Coffey
Ida Gray Nelson Rollins was born on March 4, 1867, in Clarksville, Tennessee. Ida was the daughter of Jennie Gray and a white male whose name is unknown. Ida became an orphan at an early age when her mother died. After the death of her mother, she was raised by her aunt Caroline Gray in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ida helped support her aunt by working as a seamstress and dressmaker, all while in high school. She also worked in the dental office of Jonathan and William Taft.
Ida Tarbell was an American teacher, author, and journalist. She was one of the leading muckrakers during the progressive era in the late nineteenth century. She worked to expose corrupt industries and socials ills and published only truthful reports. Ida Tarbell was born on November 5, 1857, in Erie County, Pennsylvania. She was the only woman in her graduating class at Allegheny College in 1880. The McClure’s magazine journalist was an investigative reporting pioneer; Tarbell exposed unfair practices of the Standard Oil Company, leading to a U.S. Supreme Court decision to break its monopoly. She was one of the most successful magazine writers in the US and one of the most influential woman in the 1900’ even though she died January 6, 1944.
During the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, the railroads themselves created a large market for the steel and iron industries.4 The steel and oil industries were booming and corruption was rampant. Andrew Carnegie had cornered the market in the steel industry and John D. Rockefeller had cornered the oil market. Rockefeller bought up his competition after essentially putting them out of business by flooding the market with refined oil bringing down prices and profits. He was determined to pay no one a profit because he wanted it all for himself. He created a plan called vertical integration which consolidated his businesses into one by creating The Standard Oil Trust.5 These two men became known as barons and got rich beyond belief. In 1890, the Government enacted the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to prevent large firms from controlling one single industry and finally put a stop to these monopolies and trusts, 6 but it was not rigorously enforced until the 1900’s. This act was designed to restore competition and
13. One of the secrets of John D. Rockefeller’s success was that he [A] paid attention to the minutest details. [B] was able to drive most other steel manufacturers into bankruptcy. [C] did not waste a lot of money on advertising. [D] concentrated on the “big picture” and did not get bogged down in details. [E] pioneered a division of labor in which he concentrated on financial matters and delegated the technical operations of the industry to his managers. 14. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act [A] was passed because Congress feared that the trusts would stamp out
In conclusion John. D rockefeller was not a overthrowing, ruthless business owner. He was sympathetic, intellectual, charitable and very clever. Without him universities, cities and especially New York would not be the same today. He helped form the oil production in america and made jobs and opportunities for american citizens and he was the most known philanthropist in HISTORY. John. D Rockefeller came from a middle-class, much like us, and built a kingdom on his back. Rockefeller is no Robber Baron. He is a Captain, a Captain of Industry. And his title should be changed as
Oil policies went deep into the personalities and early experiences of Rockefeller and his colleagues. They had heightened uncertainty and speculation about their activities by their secrecy in building the alliance and by their evasive and legal testimony on the witness stand. There tended to be aroused antagonism because the very
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.
As the ancient proverb goes, “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil…” (“Bible Gateway Passage”). Unfortunately, that sentiment has withstood the test of time but has not been heeded by many. Presently, much of America's economic success can be attributed to greed and the desire for power and money that businessmen possess from America’s past and present (Dubose). Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed and John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath are poignant works of literature that address that corporate greed imposes difficulties the working poor have faced in the past and are still facing today. Both novels share the theme that greed, by an individual or a corporation, has greatly affected the lives of America’s working poor throughout history.
No wonder that only a handful of people can’t distinguish that this old man was a crock and deserves to rot in hell! With all this positive media attention, the public had been fed lies! In real life, this money hungry, greedy villain is the prime reason why the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed. Rockefeller’s dream was to monopolize the oiling industry, and he so successfully did. Because of his great empire (the Standard Oil Co.)
Ida B. Wells-Barnett dedicated her life to social justice and equality. She devoted her tremendous energies to building the foundations of African-American progress in business, politics, and law. Wells-Barnett was a key participant in the formation of the National Association of Colored Women as well as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She spoke eloquently in support of Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association. The legacies of these organizations have been tremendous and her contribution to each was timely and indespensible. But no cause challenged the courage and integrity of Ida B. Wells-Barnett as much as her battle against mob violence and the terror of lynching at the end of
‘Who is Ida B. Wells?’ Some people could say she was a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a mother. Some could even say she was simply just another human being. However, this does not answer the question of why students continue to learn about her to this day. Perhaps, the more appropriate question to propose is: ‘Who was Ida B. Wells and why is she so significant in American history?’
The “rags to riches” story is a term of reverence respecting the few in society who sacrificed the little they had and emerged successful. These doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and other professionals inspire people of all socioeconomic levels by transforming nothing into something. Jay-Z, George Soros, Steve Jobs – these are names culture holds with great respect. One “rags to riches” story not many Americans have heard of pushes the limits of mental capacity. This man followed the poor-to-rich path and succeeded to such high degree that he, in turn, defined the very essence of this characteristic. Once a poor boy, Andrew Carnegie transformed the limited resources available to him into tools that aided his journey in becoming one of the richest, most successful men in all of history. Carnegie began his journey as an immigrant to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from Scotland. His family sought work, as their former weaving business had been destroyed by the Industrial Revolution (“Andrew Carnegie” American Experience). This experience as a poor worker created the drive that led him to become one of the wealthiest men of all time through his massive steel company, the Carnegie Steel Company. In conjunction with his economic success, the tycoon used the fruits of his leadership in the steel industry to become the “father of American philanthropy” (“Meet Andrew Carnegie”). As accomplished the man became, the
The January 1903 issue alone featured an installment of Ida Tarbell’s groundbreaking history of the Standard Oil Company; Ray Stannard Baker reporting on a coal miners’ strike in Pennsylvania; and Stephens's own exposé of political corruption in Minneapolis.” As more and more journals were read people wanted change, it was until finally in 1911 legislative sessions that reformers passed reforms that helped fight against the corruptions of the “Big Business,” the most prominent political reforms were: Non Partisan, Primary Elections, the office block ballot, and Direct
For two years, Tarbell looked through public records, state and federal reports, and court cases to figure out what Rockefeller’s tactics were when building the Standard Oil Company. Tarbell used this information to write a popular 19-part series called “The History of the Standard Oil Company” that was published between November 1902 and October 1904. Even though she did not like what Rockefeller did, she still managed to mention that
The Rockefellers feared the temptations of wealth, yet a visitor once described their estate as the kind of place God would have built if only he’d had the money. They amassed a fortune that outraged a Democratic nation, then gave it all away reshaping America. They were the closest thing the country had to a royal family, but the Rockefellers shunned the public eye. For decades, the Rockefeller name was despised in America, associated with John D. Rockefeller Sr.’s feared monopoly, Standard Oil. By the end of his life, Rockefeller had given away half of his fortune. But even his vast philanthropy could not erase the memory of his predatory business practices. Who was Rockefeller? Was he a ruthless businessman who only wanted to