Some historians consider the industrialists of the late nineteenth century to be captains of industry while others argue they were robber barons. Be sure to discuss both sides of the argument when writing your paper.
Some historians consider industrialists of the late nineteenth century to be robber barons because many industrialists during this time were able to manipulate natural resources to their advantage, have unprecedented access to the government and destroy any competition in order to pave the way for monopolies. However, other historians consider industrialists of the nineteenth century to be captains of industry because the fortunes that these ‘captains’ acquired throughout the nineteenth century contributed positively towards America during this time. This essay will argue that industrialists were more ‘captains of industry’ during this time than ‘robber barons.’ This essay will analyse both sides of the argument in order to explain why this paper supports the notion that industrialists were more ‘captains of industry’ than ‘robber barons’ by analysing famous American industrialists that include Charles Crocker and John D. Rockerfeller. Crocker was considered to be a ‘robber baron’ during the nineteenth century whilst Rockerfeller was considered to be a ‘captain of industry.’
Crocker, along with Mark Hopkins, Collis Huntingdon and Leland Stanford, helped play a significant part in the history of American railways because they founded the Central Pacific Railroad during 1861. This company built the First Transcontinental Railroad as a result of the actions of these four men. However, the reason as to why Crocker can be considered to be a ‘robber baron’ is because he began to acquire a monopoly over the railway industry as a result of purchasing the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1868. This gave him huge influence over the construction of railways in America and it is no wonder he is considered to be a ‘robber baron’ in American history.
However, it would not be entirely fair to suggest that all industrialists of the nineteenth century were ‘robber barons.’ The founder of the dominating oil business in nineteenth century America, John D. Rockerfeller Senior, used his amassed fortunes by investing them into projects that had a significant impact on medicine, education and scientific research. Rockerfeller founded two of America’s most well-known universities that included Rockerfeller University and the University of Chicago. Because he was a principled believer in Baptism, he spent a large portion of his time supporting institutions that were linked to churches. Therefore, this proves that all industrialists during this time were not necessarily ‘robber barons’, but deserved the term ‘captains of industry’ as well as these businessmen did a lot of beneficial work for American society.
In conclusion, this essay supports the statement that many businessmen during the nineteenth century were ‘captains of industry’ as opposed to ‘robber barons.’ Whilst some industrialists like Crocker managed to acquire huge fortunes by ensuring that he had control over the American railways by purchasing two railway companies, there were many industrialists who were ‘captains of industry’ and did not deserve this term. Because men like Rockerfeller used their fortunes to support projects advancing medicine and education and supported institutions linked to churches throughout America, this shows that there were many businessmen who were more interested in philanthropic measures rather than just focusing solely on money. These are the ‘captains of industry’ who should make Americans feel proud of their country because there were businessmen out there during this time who really wanted to make a difference to the American way of life and not just for a privileged few.
