The Progressive Er An Age Of Ambition And Brutal Competition

The Carnegie Steel Company was a successful factory, which employed many hundred of workers. Andrew Carnegie, who was the owner of the company, wanted a large successful business, which he had achieved already, but he was always looking for ways to save and make more money. By 1892, unions had been formed

The progressive Era was times in History were local state and federal government took a leap forward in power and activism. In addition, the progressive era, was a time of development of new reforms and changes for America. Progressivism handles a wide range of problems and struggle for America. Such problems were created by unstructed industrialization, urbanization and immigration. As well as, the unfavorable distribution of power and wealth. Progressives believed strongly that problems such as these needed immediate action. Progressives existed in churches, organized labor, local political life, organizations and progressives of high education. Progressives wanted to make America better through inniatives, arranged action, idealism and social scientific research. Progressive had a tendency to expect the best possible outcome of situations. By, the 1920’s, progressives put in effect, changes of all aspects of society and government. Nevertheless, progressives had unhonorable qualities as well. They were biased of class and prejudiced against races.

The Progressive Era was a time period between the years 1900-1920 and it marked a time in American history in which society was bursting with enthusiasm to improve life in the industrial age by making political and social changes through government action that ultimately led to a higher quality of life for American citizens. Progressives were known for their beliefs in limiting the power of big business, strengthening the power of the states, and were advocators against corruption and social injustice. These progressive reformers as well as the Federal Government successfully managed to improve the quality of life and establish a precedent for a move active government, although neither was completely successful in solving significant

The drive to reform the working and living conditions of the poor in American cities heralded the advent of the Progressive Era, in which social and political activism and reform aimed to reconcile issues of Reconstruction. Writers like Upton Sinclair described ghastly conditions in American factories. Their stories caught the nation’s attention, and political as well as labor action followed. Progressive politicians such as Theodore Roosevelt aggressively sought to reign in the excesses of monopolies. They viewed monopolies as using unfair leverage to hurt

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

The nation’s businesses, and politics prior to the Progressive Movement is best described by Mark Twain in his book, The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today. The nation was glittering and sparkling on the surface but corrupt underneath. In politics, the government looked the other way. In Joseph Keppler’s famous “Bosses of the Senate” cartoon, he depicted the big business owners as moneybags looking over the congressmen. This was an accurate view at how the government was run. The government never attempted anything that was against what the businesses wanted. If a politician did rebel, he would not win a reelection. Big businesses were continually growing, and along with it, disparity. The industries had no competition amongst each other. One person or group was in total control of an industry, and because of that, they could do as they pleased. Railroad rates, for example were as high as the owner wanted. Since there was only one railroad, people had no choice but to spend whatever the individual asked. Once the Progressive Era began, these political and business issues were taken care of.

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.)

Monopolies were becoming more prominent during this time. Rockefeller is the best example of corrupt monopolies. The source of his wealth was a system. “These oil producers and refiners whom the Standard was robbing with and without forms of law fought

Standard Oil was the United States’ first monopoly, and it was a rollercoaster of a ride for the company. Standard Oil started from the ground up and grew into a massive enterprise, that would eventually make John D. Rockefeller the richest man in the world. This would come at a price, the demise of Standard Oil, but multiple companies are born out of the demise of Standard Oil that become some of the largest oil companies today. Standard Oil even caused the United States of America to create a federal act to try and control monopolies from eliminating competition in unethical ways, and from becoming so powerful that they can control not just their markets, but other markets too, and from having the ability to change the price on consumers

In a move that would transform the American economy, Rockefeller set out to replace a world of independent oilmen with a giant company controlled by him. In l870, begging bankers for more loans, he formed Standard Oil of Ohio. The next year, he quietly put what he called "our plan" -- his campaign to dominate the volatile oil industry - into devastating effect. Rockefeller knew that the refiner with the lowest transportation cost could bring rivals to their knees. He entered into a secret alliance with the railroads called the South Improvement Company. In exchange for large, regular shipments, Rockefeller and his allies secured transport rates far lower than those of their bewildered competitors. John D. Rockefeller said, "The day of combination is here to stay. Individualism is gone forever, never to return" (Hawke 128).

Populism was a narrow movement, confined mostly to the western and southern farmers, and was a movement of small- town ignorance lashing out against progress and espoused many ideas which simply could be categorized as fear of the other, a sort of “conspiratorial theory and… suspicion of the stranger that haunted, and still tragically haunts, the nativist American mind”(82). Hofstadter quotes editorials and poems from farmers’ magazines which display their state of mind, and their suspicion of cities and city- life. Progressivism, however, took some of the issues of the Populists and made a genteel, nation- wide movement of reform. The Progressives, according to Hofstadter, were the long- established wealthy professionals who were losing in status and prestige in comparison with the nouveau riche robber barons and railroaders and losing political clout to the ‘bosses’ who controlled the immigrant populations of the cities. Hofstadter refers to the Progressives as ‘gentry’ and they took a stance of liberal, well- intentioned, noblesse oblige, which had the final goal as putting the country back on the right track. Of course, the right path for the country was the one that placed them in prominence once again, and limited the power of the big businesses and eradicated the political bosses of the cities. As with the Populist movement, Hofstadter reviews literature, editorials, and

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

With this idea in mind Rockefeller bought the largest and best refiners and then proceeded to centralize their management in hopes of better efficiency and economy he would come to name this business Standard Oil (“Rockefeller, John D.”). At this point Rockefeller was a successful businessman but nothing in comparison to what he was to become. Rockefeller decided that he would buy out another large shareholder of Standard Oil due to their lack of ambition to want to expand Standard oil further than it currently was. Rockefeller later wrote that buying out the Clark’s “was the day that determined my career (John, D. Rockefeller)”. After further expansion Standard oil was producing 505 barrels of oil a day which was more than twice that capable of any other local competitors (“John Davison Rockefeller.”).

With reference to the levels and spheres of corporate power discussed in the chapter, how did the power of Standard Oil change society? Was this power exercised in keeping with the social contract of Rockefeller’s era? Corporate actions have effected society on two levels, on the surface level and deep level. On a surface level, business power can impact changes in the society, especially when corporations fire and hire employees or make and sell products.

"With reference to the levels and spheres of corporate power discussed in [chapter 3], how did the power of Standard Oil change society? Was this power exercised in keeping with the social contract of Rockefeller's era?"