Social Darwinism In The Late 1800s

Big business grew rapidly in the United States after the Civil War. Necessities like oil and steel were being controlled by large corporations that held a monopoly. Owners of these companies like Rockefeller and Carnegie are names still brought up today for the influence and tremendous wealth. Big businesses influenced the United States poorly through politics, the economy, and the responses of Americans.

During the Industrial Revolution, robber barons corrupted the government. The greedy robber barons overpowered the working class. With that massive wealth, they created monopolies.

The idea of Social Darwinism influenced Americans, especially during early 1920’s. The idea of the survival of the fittest is showing that the body is more important to fit in society. Also, the physical fitness is considered as the key of success and a way to fit in society, if someone is not physically fit he will be isolated. The movie “College” (1927) by Buster Keaton, presents the idea of physical culture in college life and how fitness is a key of success which leads efficiency in society.

After the Civil War and Reconstruction, The Gilded Age, named by Mark Twain, became a period when large corporations and businesses took root as well as a time of innovation and production. With the rich getting richer and the poor being forgotten, the period was filled with corruptions and monopolies. Between the period 1870 to 1900, large businesses ruled over the society and politics through all means which ushered in a backlash from the majority of Americans who were mostly receiving the back end of the deal.

It held that only fierce competition could produce progress. Applying the principle of "survival of the fittest" to society, they argued that intervening to assist the poor violated laws of nature and would only impede progress." also, Social Darwinism appealed to Americans as it allowed them to do and treat others in a way that was not

Although some of these criticisms are well founded, men like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller were, in fact, Captains of Industry because they employed millions and created new ways of doing business. Before all these industrialists can along, America was just another country that had little significance to the world. If it was not for them, we as a nation would not be where we are today. The industrialists prospered mainly due to their wit, and the many innovations that they brought to their various fields of business. They created monopolies because they were the most effective forms of enterprise, and there were no laws that prohibited or restricted their use. As John D. Rockefeller himself said, "I believe in the spirit of combination and cooperation when properly conducted….It helps to reduce waste, and waste is a dissipation of power."(Danzer 424) Critics say that these men ruthlessly took over their fields of business, and "did not play fair". What's wrong with striving for success? What's wrong with being efficient? What's wrong with making a product that no one can equal? What's wrong with besting your competitors? Nothing.

The big business reforms were to help stop the government regulation of big businesses and monopolies. The growth of monopolies helped to stifle competition and the American dream. The concentration of wealth has also increased from 1800 to 1900. In 1800 one percent of the population owned fifty percent of the wealth and then in 1900 only ten percent of the population owned ninety percent of the wealth. This lead to the wealthy being slowly destroying the cities and civilization by the inexperienced and [D] responsibility falling into their hands that was created by the businesses. Wealth against Commonwealth by Henry Lloyd tried to inform the cities that the rich are destroying the cities due to their inexperience in the cities monetary control. The wealth in cities were used to help provide utilities for the public good. It also showed how the cities are affected politically and how they need to control [E] the public utility and how the cities tried to reform the parks and etc. to help the public. The trusts cause a major concern about their relationships with monopolies. Between the time of Roosevelt's and Taft's presidency they together dissolved about one-hundred and thirty monopolies. Roosevelt was known as the ‘trust-buster’ because he started this change of monopoly enforcements. The Sherman Anti-trust Act helped to further this movement by helping to

After the Civil war, large businesses ruled America. Prior to the industrial revolution, the government upheld a hands-off approach towards business. Under the laissez-faire principle, free, unregulated markets led to competition, yet this system suffered under the wrath of growing corporations. The impact of big business on the economy and politics was immense during 1870 to 1899. Corporations were growing significantly in number and size, which had a domineering affect on American economy and defined American life.

Darwinism opened the door to Social Darwinism which was utilized to classify to people. Social Darwinism was a justification for superior behaviors over people being considered poor and incapable of succeeding due to their social class or race. This is where the survival of the fittest came into place. Classifying people based on how successful they were. The more wealthy a person was the

In 1859, a biologist named Charles Darwin postulated a scientific theory, which stated that all living organisms evolved through a process of natural selection. According to Stephen Hawking, Charles Darwin claimed that the offspring of a particular species gradually evolved themselves genetically to resist the changes in the environment (573). The theory contended that the organisms could adapt to the changes in the environment through the survival of the fittest. Though this theory is regarded as a breakthrough in the field of biological evolution, it is interesting to explore how this seemingly scientific theory has been suitably modified, and intellectually applied to both negative and positive aspects of life.

Lastly, Social Darwinism; As Charles Darwin himself would explain it as “survival of the fittest”. Which basically means, everyone has the same opportunity to do as they please it is up to the person to take advantage of the situation and make best of it for themselves. In the situation, every person is for themselves.

Social Darwinism is the ‘Survival of the Fittest’ so in other words, the strongest and fittest survive and flourish in society, while the weak should be allowed to die. This theory is the basis for Frank Norris's’ novel McTeague. Norris believed that whatever social class you were born in, that should be the social class that you stay in. In Frank Norris’ McTeague, couples Zerkow and Maria, and Trina and McTeague exemplify the concept of Social Darwinism as seen through the rise and the downfall of their lives.

These companies would operate monopolies that controlled every aspect of there industry. Some examples of this would be the Norther Securities Company, and the Knickerbocker Trust Company. These companies were huge and very powerful, and was Americans were sick of being controlled by the big companies. Thus Trust era came to and end and the formation of Unions became a vital part of the American economy(Collins, Alan )

The theory of Social Darwinism is the survival of the fittest. Social Darwinism is where people with more money are wealthy. These are the higher ranking people there more relaxed in life. The poor have struggles to survive because they had to work 12 hours a day and get paid 9 cents a day, but they have to live off what they get. The poor live in really bad conditions so rarely survive. The only way to survive is to work everyday in mines or in other dangerous jobs.

Social Darwinism stems from these initial hypotheses about sociology and evolutionary theory. According to social Darwinism, human beings who are more likely to survive will do so, including in terms of socialization and the ability to obtain and retain money. Those from the wealthiest families will have an easier time in