Who Is The Captain Of Industry Dbq

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.

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.

     Let us first look at Mr. Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was a mogul in the steel industry. Carnegie

In the movie, The Richest Man in the World, Andrew Carnegie played a major role in influencing the Industrial Revolution, which changed the economy of the US and the world forever. This era brought upon significant changes through economic developments that would not only change the ways of the economy but also the social aspect of society, especially within the cities where this growth was located. The shift from hand-made to machine-made products increased productivity and decreased costs. Through the innovations of the new forms of energy, such as iron, and then steel, establishments of factories began, competition between businessmen arose, and innovations of transportation in the city through railroads and bridges developed. The

were ruthless in the business world but were credited for creating big business and a booming economy in the US. The so-called “robber barons” were nothing but businessmen who knew what they were doing and used it to their advantage.

With striking speed, American society underwent a transformation that concentrated wealth in the hands of a few, while creating tension and acrimony as industrialists leveraged their clout to influence government. During the Gilded Age, America's industrial economy exploded, generating unprecedented opportunities for individuals to build great fortunes but also leaving many farmers and workers struggling merely for survival. Overall national wealth increased more than fivefold, a staggering increase, but one that was accompanied by what many saw as an equally staggering disparity between the rich and the poor. Industrial giants like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller revolutionized business and ushered in the modern corporate economy,

Andrew Carnegie had a steel monopoly, but even through all of his wealth and success he was a robber baron. To start Carnegie made his workers work 12 hour shifts with five minute break time. It was 6 days a week, and only had 4th of July off. (Article 1) This tired workers which gave them very little family time, or even have enough to fund them, this made him a robber baron. Next Carnegie workers work in very humid, unsafe working conditions. (Article 1) This made workers get hurt, tired which caused them to go on strike. To add Carnegie paid workers minimum pay, but if the company bought new equipment their pay would drop. (Hist. Book) This would give workers a stressful time to help their family survive, even though he had so much

Who: The industrialist were Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould, Cornelious Vanderbilt. They are the industry controllers, and have a lot of money. They paid their workers badly and also gave them bad working conditions. However, they enhanced the US and were also philanthropists. What: They controlled the industry (steel, railroads, banking etc.) and made a huge amount of the money in the US.

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.

Robber Baron: someone who manipulates others at a disadvantage to succeed or prosper by himself.

Factory work and hours upon hours of manual labor disabled lower class workers from seeking benefits from the corporations. The need for labor unions and the rights of workers was necessary because even though prices went down, wages for workers also went down (Document G). Labor Unions, such as the Knights of Labor, were created to protect the rights of workers, but because of the many unskilled workers (Document C), some unions were specialized in organizing skilled workers and others in unskilled workers. The rich thrived in this corporation-driven society, but the poor became poorer. A primary source from a low class laborer working in the industrial system would help provide insight on the demand for labor unions and the direct effect of the growth of corporations. It would also help contrast between the rich and poor. Document E discusses the life of the upper class- the wealthy. Carnegie, the “man of Wealth” believed in his Gospel of Wealth. He believed that the rich shouldn’t die rich. Basically, he discusses the need for the rich to live a modest live, which is ironic considering his name is found on many modern United States libraries and buildings. Life was much easier for the wealthy because of the growth of corporations, enabling industry controllers like Carnegie to live an easy life (especially with the decline of prices and cost of living, as seen in

Forging the industry, he “vertically-integrated” the business from natural resources to the distribution of steel to neighboring companies. “By the 1890s, he [Carnegie] dominated the steel industry and had accumulated a fortune worth hundreds of millions of dollars” However, to accumulate his wealthy profit, there had to be workers who manufactured these items. As a result, money was pooling into Carnegie’s business and would do so several decades

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.

Prior to the industrial revolution in America, businesses were small and family owned and did not cause many problems. At the time the largest enterprises only employed around 50 people (“Corporations”). With only small businesses up to the 1870’s the government was able to follow laissez- faire policies. However, the industrial revolution grew in Europe and quickly made its way to America. Businesses rapidly began to grow and monopolies formed. The need for railroads and transportation supported the growth of industries ("Corporations”). The railroads made it easy to transport manufactured goods across the nation (“Industrial”). Robber barons, John Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J.P. Morgan, took advantage of the need for new industries and quickly began to ruin the country; their monopolies controlled everything. The formation of monopolies and trusts eliminated competition and drove prices of basic items up (Benson). Consumers began to have only one expensive option for things they

By allowing businessmen such as John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, and Andrew Carnegie to create monopolies in certain industries, the government allowed the oppression of the nation’s working class. The second half of the 19th century saw major changes in the working world, with new inventions, increasing populations, and bigger businesses. The Barons seized their opportunity in this new economic setting and made large fortunes. However these fortunes came at the expense of the working class, which received biased wages that depended on factors such as race, gender, and ethnic background. With decreased wages, the Barons had larger profit margins, and longer hours meant more production.