John D. Rockefeller: Captain Of Industry

During the Gilded Age, the United States saw an increase in the power of big businesses, many of which monopolized their industries. This time period, although it appeared successful from the outside, was filled with governmental corruption. Manipulated by the robber barons of the Gilded Age, the United States government fell victim to their control. Contrary to this downfall, the nation celebrated much success in the numerous life-changing inventions attributed to this era. With the invention of the internal combustion engine, among others, there also came a major increase in the demand for oil. Entering the flourishing oil business in 1870, John D. Rockefeller created the Standard Oil Company, which later dominated the entire oil industry. Although he had years filled with success in the business, Rockefeller faced a disastrous court case that dissolved his company and years of his hard work. Despite this catastrophic event, Rockefeller found other ways to contribute his knowledge and hard-work by making innumerable philanthropic donations. After many years and countless efforts, John D. Rockefeller had one of the most outstanding and positive influences on the United States through his work in the oil industry and his philanthropic actions.

In conclusion, is J.P. Morgan a Captain of Industry or a Robber Baron? In my believe he is a bit of both, he saved the country twice from bankruptcy, and he greatly helped the country’s industry in many ways. He did all this, but he did it in a way in which he would greatly profit from, and some people said that he used shady methods to achieve his goals.

Captains of industry were defined as the business leaders whose means of amassing a personal fortune contributed positively to the country or society in some way. Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller were considered to be captains of industry because with their profits from either their steel company or standard oil company, they give back to the society instead of themselves. They believed in the idea that people give in to you, in which you must give out as well. They established many charitable foundations that allowed them to become well known philanthropist and made them distinguishable from the rubber barons.

     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.

Two of the most well-known and successful companies of the Industrial Revolution were the Standard Oil Company, and the Carnegie Steel Company. Both were exceedingly successful in virtually removing all competition in their respective fields of business and controlling almost all of the production capacity of their respective products in the United States. Their founders, John D. Rockefeller of the Standard Oil Co., and Andrew Carnegie of the Carnegie Steel Co. conducted business practices that were different from one another in how they dealt with competition as seen in the undercutting or cheap type

"John began to keep a ledger, noting every expenditure, large and small. For him, numbers were sacred." After holding a job there for three months, Rockefeller's zealous work was rewarded with fifty dollars' pay, and a raise to twenty five dollars per month. This was a large amount of money during the 1850's, especially for a boy of seventeen. Interestingly, Rockefeller considered this raise unnecessary, "one has a hunch that he was jubilant but feared, out of religious scruples, his own greed." This early experience showed to John D. that hard work, punctuality, and ambition can lead to great profits. He would pursue this ambition throughout his life. His three years of working at Hewitt & Tuttle taught him how a business was run, and he was ready to start his own.

Rockefeller was an American business tycoon. His early life made an impact on him with his father’s odd habits and parenting. His father was a traveling salesman who regularly cheated on his wife; even cheating on her when he was home. His father regularly “ cheated” his children by lying to them. He made the excuse that it would make them strong. John did not let this affect him. He got a job at an early age and used this experience and knowledge to become a business partner. By the end of the year the company had made half a million dollars. He used this money to open an oil refinery. He and a few others created the Standard Oil Company, in 1870. Within two years they had owned a majority of the oil refineries in Cleveland. They, in nearly a decade, had a monopoly on the US oil refinery

He holds little as important as this day. The reason that I say that he is smart about how he went about becoming the oil tycoon is because he essentially gave it his all. His first oil refinery that was built was built to very impeccable standards unlike others of that time. Many people thought that the oil craze was something that will rise and fall real quick. Even though John D. was faced with this possibility he still was very careful about where he built his plant and about how the waste from it was disposed. He also had good working relationships with his employees and his partners. He also was able to talk an owner of a railroad company into allowing him to ship his oil for almost a dollar cheaper per barrel than the others. And then he sought to buy out all the other companies by either offering them cash or offering them stock in the company. Eventually all these little oil companies sold out to him and he founded Standard Oil Company (John D and his partners).

Both George Eastman and John Rockefeller also donated a plethora of money to multiple charities making them philanthropists. For instance George Eastman donated money to kids who couldn't afford dental work, and he gave away scholarships to the Massentusats Institute of technology. Also he gave scholarships to Tuskegee Institute for African AMericans who wanted to get an education. Likewise Rockefeller also donated money towards education. For instance he created the University of Chicago and the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. Both of which received over $50 million dollars from him alone. Rockefeller also founded the General Education Board which he donated another $50 million dollars to. George Eastman and John D. Rockefeller could have used their money on themselves but instead used their surplus of cash on charities. This just proves the fact that George Eastman and John D. Rockefeller were captains of industry because they were innovators and

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

A "robber baron" was someone who employed any means necessary to enrich themselves at the expense of their competitors. Did John D. Rockefeller fall into that category or was he one of the "captains of industry", whose shrewd and innovative leadership brought order out of industrial chaos and generated great fortunes that enriched the public welfare through the workings of various philanthropic agencies that these leaders established? In the early 1860s Rockefeller was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, who came to epitomize both the success and excess of corporate capitalism. His company was based in northwestern Pennsylvania.

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,

I think that the most interesting, or important event on the Timeline was John D Rockefeller's Standard oil company becoming the nation’s first trust. I believe this to be an important event because John D Rockefeller built the Standard Oil Company. As the book states, John D Rockefeller did not like competition so he would absorb or destroy any competitors he had. He thought of the best way to run his business, and that was lowering his transportation costs which undercut his competitors. The book states, "By 1879, he controlled 90 percent of the country's oil-refining capacity." in order for everything to run smoothly, and be managed the proper way the company developed a business organization, trust. Trust was new to the business

One of the most influential men in shaping America, one of the most brilliant men to walk this Earth, one of the most resilient and cut-throat entrepreneurs of time is John D. Rockefeller. There are a few things that make this man have a few of these qualities. The biggest and most important reasons is he is one of the very few men who literally made America and its reality what it is today. There are lots of men who made big moves to push America in this direction, but Rockefeller’s actions were so big that it made him the richest man in America. Well what did Rockefeller do that was so iconic? He discovered oil. Not only did he discover the biggest oil source in the world, the Standard Oil Company, but he also used his wealth to fund other philanthropic causes.

John D. Rockefeller and George Eastman were captains of industry because they were innovators and philanthropists. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil company that took over the oil industries and was the first United States business trusts. Eastman founded a camera company soon to be called Kodak, and created roll film for cameras. By this founding Rockefeller was able to give people ways to start cars, roads, eyeglasses, and credit cards, and other stuff that we use everyday. When Eastman started Kodiak and made roll film, families created memories and gave people their favorite movies by the the roll film. Because the Standard oil company was so popular, it led to other companies selling oil for less, like Mobil, and marathon. But