“If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” These inspiring words highlight the principles that many of the late 1800s industrialists lived by. These industrialists of the late 1800s, known as the “Robber Barons” or “Captains of Industry”, were very influential in America, from their own industry to even the Capitol. One the most influential of them all was John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller dominated oil industry, which was a budding industry in the 1860s. He founded Standard Oil, which quickly monopolized the entire petroleum industry. Although vilified by many during his time, Rockefeller, along with other “Captains of Industry”, revolutionized the United States, from business to even philanthropy.
Rockefeller was born in New York in 1839. In 1853, he and his family moved to Cleveland where he would attend high school, but more importantly do business. He developed a love of arithmetic and regularly attended his local Baptist Church. After taking some business courses in college, Hewitt and Tuttle hired Rockefeller as a bookkeeper. Shortly after, Rockefeller formed a partnership with another young businessman, Maurice Clark, and together joined the oil industry as refiners. The partnership grew in size and eventually Rockefeller bought out Clark’s portion for $72,000. He then brought his brother, who had also built a refinery, into the partnership. This made their firm the largest oil refinery in the world and marked the beginnings of Standard Oil.
In June 1870, Rockefeller established Standard Oil Company. It was situated in Cleveland, which had become one of the five main refining centers in the U.S. It began to grow rapidly and soon became t...
... middle of paper ...
...kefeller as unethical and a “Robber Baron”, he was a devout Baptist and was one of first great philanthropists. To begin, every paycheck he received he gave ten percent of it to his church. Along with helping his own personal church, Rockefeller gave much of his wealth to universities and hospitals. He donated money to the University of Chicago, which dramatically improved the school, making it a top-notch college. Along with this, he founded the Central Philippine University and Rockefeller University and research centers such as the Rockefeller Foundation.
From bookkeeper to billionaire, Rockefeller’s vision influenced many. He revolutionized industry and philanthropy as it is today and became the world’ first billionaire. Although vilified for most of his life, he truly redeemed himself in the end by creating many beneficial institutions with his fortune.
It's said that before John D. Rockefeller died, "he gave away about $550,000,000 to charity, more than any other American before him had ever possessed" (98). His money went to schools, churches and also "paid teams of scientists who found cures for yellow fever, meningitis, and hookworm"(97).
The Gilded Age refers to a period in which things were fraudulent and deceitful; the surface was clinquant while underneath that lustrous coat laid corruption. During the Gilded Age companies recruited to corrupt methods to further increase profits, leading to an increase in power, rapid economic prosperity, and domination of industries, leading to monopolistic corporations. As a result, antitrust laws to regulate business began to emerge in the late 19th and early 20th century known as the Progressive Era. Among these companies was Standard Oil, which was founded in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller; in 1880, Standard Oil was responsible for refining 90 percent of America’s oil and between 1880-1910, dominating the oil industry (Marshall). The lack of intervention from the government and regulations impeding monopolistic practices allowed Standard Oil to
Fifth Edition Vol 2, New York: Longman, 1999. Hidey, Ralph W. and Muriel E. "History of Standard Oil Company (New Jersey), Vol. 1" Pioneering in Big Business" " Taking Sides Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in American History" eds.
Many people consider Rockefeller a robber of industry because of his forcible ways of gaining his monopolies. Rockefeller was fond of buying out small and large competitors. If the competitors refused to sell they often found Rockefeller cutting the prices of his Standard Oil or in the worst cases, their factories mysteriously blowing up. Rockefeller was obsessed with controlling the oil market and used many of undesirable tactics to flush his competitors out of the market. Rockefeller was also a master of the rebate game. He was one of the most dominant controllers of the railroads. He was so good at the rebate that at some times he skillfully commanded the rail road to pay rebates to his standard oil company on the traffic of other competitors. He was able to do this because his oil traffic was so high that he could make or break a section of a railroad a railroad company by simply not running...
These industrialists are the pillars of the American society due to the successful outcomes of their hard works. Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller were both born in an underprivileged families. Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller became the breadwinner of the family at a young age. They both worked hard despite of being born to a
Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller: Captains of industry, or robber 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 dominance.
The industrial leaders, Robber Barons, of the 19th century are men who are very respected and admired. Andrew Carnegie was a boy from Scotland who came over to this country with nothing. He continued to save and work his way up in the industry until he had complete control over the steel industry. John D. Rockefeller was also one who came from an ordinary home. When he saw an opportunity, he took it, along with the risks. He came to control the oil industry. Another man that took many opportunities to expand and grow was Cornelius Vanderbilt. These men saw what they needed to do to become successful and they did it. These men's' lives reflected the Darwinian ideology of the times, "survival of the fittest".
Leaders such as Carnegie, Rockefeller, Morgan, and Ford were all philanthropic and gave away their money to those in need. For instance, Andrew Carnegie had given a total of over $350 million in his lifetime and had centered his philanthropy on education and the quest for world peace. Carnegie built libraries mainly because he wanted to promote self-education and that he wanted everyone to have the access to books. He founded Carnegie University. He had always thought that “The rich have a moral obligation to give away their fortunes.” John D. Rockefeller donated over $550 million in his lifetime. Rockefeller built the University of Chicago and then founded Rockefeller University. The Rockefeller Foundation was his last charitable foundation and he had such an abundant amount of money that the foundation is still working “to promote the well-being of mankind throughout the world.” J.P. Morgan was an equally giving philanthropist after he retired from banking. He had become the president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art while he was also a trustee (lead donor, vice president, treasurer, and finance committee chairman). His love for the natural sciences gave way to the American Museum of Natural History. Morgan was also a part of the Episcopal Church which he had devoted a great deal of time to. Henry Ford
...mpanies, it eventually came to the point where they couldn’t keep up and eventually became a part of Standard Oil. By the time Rockefeller had reached the age of 40, his company had controlled all national oil refining by 90% and about 70% of international export of said oil.
This statement is true, but the money that sustained the philanthropic ways of the Industrialists was obtained in a way exemplify the qualities of a Robber Baron. A list of Rockefeller's major donations added up to about $500,000,000. While this money went charities and hospitals, the money was made from unethical business practices and the undermining of employees. The Saturday Globe’s political cartoon of Carnegie shows him cutting wages and giving away libraries and money. Industrialists took money that went from their workers away to practice philanthropy. The money might have gone to great causes, but the way it was obtained is characteristic of Robber Barons. Andrew Carnegie's essay, “The Gospel of Wealth” he describes the role of the wealthy in the community. Carnegie class the millionaire a “trust for the poor” and states that the wealthy know how to best invest n the community. This role taken on by Carnegie and other wealthy Americans of the late 19th century is reminiscent of that of an oligarchy, where a small group has control of the community. The oligarchical position of the wealthy in Carnegie's essay is against the American values of freedom and individuality, and very discriminatory towards the
John D. Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839 in Rickford, New York. He grew up in a very poor family. His father was William Avery Rockefeller. He claimed to be a doctor, who for $25 would cure various diseases. His mother was Eliza Davison Rockefeller. She was the role model who taught Rockefeller his values and morals (Poole). John Rockefeller was the second child. Altogether he had five brothers and sisters (Outman 139). As a child he was very business smart. At the young age of 12 he loaned $50 to a famer. He charged a 7% interest. When he was older he said this about the business deal, “The impression was gaining ground with me that it was a good thing to let money be my servant and not make myself a slave to money” (Poole).
Rockefeller was America’s first billionaire, and he was the true epitome of capitalism. Rockefeller was your typical rags-to-riches businessman, and at the turn of the twentieth century, while everyone else in the working class was earning ten dollars max every week, Rockefeller was earning millions. There has been much discussion as to whether Rockefeller’s success was due to being a “robber baron”, or as a “captain of industry”. By definition, a robber baron was an industrialist who exploited others in order to achieve personal wealth, however, Rockefeller’s effect on the economy and the lives of American citizens has been one of much impact, and deserves recognition. He introduced un-seen techniques that greatly modified the oil industry. During the mid-nineteenth century, there was a high demand for kerosene. In the refining process from transforming crude oil to kerosene, many wastes were produced. While others deemed the waste useless, Rockefeller turned it into income by selling them. He turned those wastes into objects that would be useful elsewhere, and in return, he amassed a large amount of wealth. He sold so much “waste” that railroad companies were desperate to be a part of his company. However, Rockefeller demanded rebates, or discounted rates, from the railroad companies, when they asked to be involved with his business. By doing so, Rockefeller was able to lower the price of oil to his customers, and pay low wages to his workers. Using these methods,
John D. Rockefeller, born on July 8, 1839, has had a huge impact on the course of American history, his reputation spans from being a ruthless businessperson to a thoughtful philanthropist (Tarbell 41). He came from a family with not much and lived the American dream, rising to success through his own wit and cunning, riding on the backs of none. His legacy is huge, amassing the greatest private wealth of any American in history. Rockefeller’s influence on our country has been both a positive and a negative one, he donated huge sums of money to various public institutions and revolutionized the petroleum industry. Along with all the positives to the country, Rockefeller also had many negative affects as well, including, by gaining his riches by means of a monopoly, often using illegal methods, by giving others a reason to frown upon capitalism, and by hurting smaller businesses.
Rockefeller would buy up anything and everything needed to make and distribute oil. He would do things such as purchase all of the barrels in the area so that other companies couldn't pack their oil and dispense it. He would also go as far as to threaten the workers so that they wouldn't go to work. With the oil companies close to bankrupt Rockefeller would buy them at a fraction of the price as he would’ve before. These tactics were cruel and unfair to the smaller companies and their business owners because there was no way for the companies to respond. The companies either didn’t have the money to hold out or, it was simply impossible for them to sell any of their product. Shortly thereafter, John soon began to make backdoor deals with the South Improvement Company, a railroad company that offered him cheap rates in turn for all of Standard Oil’s shipping remain with the South Improvement Company. This company would ship his oil all across the country at a fraction of the cost that others would have to pay for it. Shipping was so expensive many companies couldn't keep up with Rockefeller’s mass amounts of oil shipped and soon they were left in the wake of Standard Oil. Rockefeller exploited mass production by allowing him to refine and distribute oil at a much cheaper cost than its
John Rockefeller was born in Richford, New York, on July 8, 1839. Rockefeller was industrious as a little boy, and sold turkeys and candy and did jobs for neighbors to earn money. In 1853, John and his family moved to Strongsville in Cleveland, Ohio, for John to attend high school and college. When he was 16 years old, he worked at an office firm in Cleveland that bought and sold commodities. In 1859, the first oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania. In 1864, Rockefeller married Laura Spelman whose father was a merchant and an active in the Underground Railroad. They eventually had one son and and four daughters, three of whom survived.