Robber Barons Dbq

During the Gilded Age, several Americans emerged as leaders in many fields such as, railroads, oil drilling, manufacturing and banking. The characterization of these leaders as “robber barons” is, unfortunately, nearly always correct in every instance of business management at this time. Most, if not all, of these leaders had little regard for the public or laborers at all and advocated for the concentration of wealth within tight-knit groups of wealthy business owners.

The blatant disregard for public concern was not by any means an unpopular or discreet sentiment held by businessmen. In an interview with the Chicago Daily News in 1882, William H. Vanderbilt held absolutely nothing back (Document 1). During the interview Vanderbilt wastes

no time expressing his unsympathetic attitude towards the public regarding his railroads. He expresses that the railroads are not run for the “dear public” and suggests that the public has no right to demand anything of him and others because they never agreed to work for “anybody’s good but our own”.

At this time, Vanderbilt had emerged as a top leader in the railroad industry during the 19th century and eventually became the richest man in America. Vanderbilt is making it abundantly clear to Americans that his only objective is to acquire as much wealth as possible even if it is at the expense of every day citizens. Another man who echoed such sentiments is Andrew Carnegie. In an excerpt from the North American Review, Carnegie takes Vanderbilt’s ideas even further and advocates for the concentration of business and wealth into the hands of a few (Document 3). Carnegie suggests that such a separation between the rich and the poor “insures survival of the fittest in every department” and encourages competition, thus, benefiting society as a whole. Carnegie, a steel tycoon and one of the wealthiest businessmen to date, continuously voiced his approval of an ideology known as Social Darwinism which essentially models the “survival of the fittest” sentiment expressed by Carnegie and others. In essence, he believed in widening inequalities in society for the sole purpose of placing power in the hands of only the most wealthy and most

capable. An equally culpable representation of concentration of power would be that of the Standard Oil Company. An infamous political cartoon found in the Library of Congress demonstrates the effect this company had on the American population (Document 5). The cartoon shows tentacles attempting to engulf several structures of the American economy and government. In the 19th century, Standard Oil Company owned more than ninety percent of the oil reserves in the United States. The company began to influence major players in the government as well which led to mass corruption on a scale never before seen in the US. One sole company was able to retain a toxic amount of power over government officials until anti-monopoly movements were made against them.
Because of the mass corruption and fraud caused by monopolies, many began to speak out against such institutions.

James B. Weaver illustrates the true damage of monopolies on the public in “A Call to Action” (Document 4). Weaver, a two-time candidate for president of the United States, addresses the meticulous tactics which trusts and monopolies use to increase their profit at the expense of the public and asserts that their main weapons are, ”threats, intimidation, bribery, fraud, wreck, and pillage.” Arguments such as Weaver’s, suggest and end to the end of the laissez-faire capitalism that monopolies are sustained upon. Laissez-faire capitalism is essentially a system where the government takes no position in the affairs of businesses and does not interfere, no matter what harm is being done. This ideology dominated the business world of the century and allowed for vast unemployment, low wages, and impoverishment. Soon, laborers also begin to express their dismay with the way that such businesses are run and the treatment of workers in the railroad industry. An instance of this being the Pullman Strike of 1894. In 1894, laborers went on a nationwide strike against the Pullman Company; they issued a statement regarding their strike in June (Document 6). Workers are repulsed by Pullman’s exertion of power over several institutions and how his greed affects his competitors, who must reduce their wages to keep up with his businesses. This incident inspires many to take

action against oppressive systems such as Pullman’s and form unions that work to combat such treatment. Luckily, there were some business leaders such as John D. Rockefeller who were not as cruel to their workers and in fact were known for their philanthropy (Document 7). Rockefeller most likely accepted the idea of the “Gospel of Wealth” which meant that the wealthy had a duty to give back to the public as compensation for their economic success. Although Rockefeller’s philanthropic deeds were exceptional, many of his equally wealthy counterparts did not agree it was their duty to give back to the public.
Trusts, monopolies, and laissez faire capitalism all played a part in creating ruthless businessmen who only sought to acquire wealth amongst themselves. The methods they used to exploit vulnerable populations during the 19th century are unfortunately still among us today.