They created so many job opportunities, built industries that benefited the whole country and gave away much of their hard earned money. Capitalists of the nineteenth century may have been considered robber barons but they were for the most part captains of industry. The American Industrial Revolution fundamentally changed politics, society, and the economy. Factory workers and consumerism had changed immensely in the Gilded Age; about 400,000 patents were made between 1875 and 1900 which signifies the departure of farming to the vast significance of industries.
Trade Unions became an immense part in Urban communities since the people longed for shorter hours and higher pay rates. Henry George recognized that the rich class were becoming much more wealthier through allying with each other, “trusting” other corporate owners. Progress and Poverty became published in 1879 and outlined the effects of land, labor, and capital. Owners were investing themselves and taking over other opponents, while workers made wages which contributed to the capital of the U. S. they made little to nothing compared to that of those who had hired them.
This triangle of the men top of the economy also pushed for the fact that “social contrasts are becoming sharper; as livered carriages appear; so do barefooted children” (Document A). Although it is apparent that they were rich and were definitely becoming richer, they were not born into that lifestyle, they had lived up to it. Many of the known industrialists portrayed the rags to riches story something that many people even myself admire. George argued that progress was creating a large poverty space in the United States yet the population still had a variety of cultures.
Inequality has always been an issue and it would grow because of capitalism. If America was not a capitalist country would we not be in a socialist society? Needless to say Henry George was a biased writer that critiqued the captains representing the American Economy. He argued that children were barefooted, however, there were many already making money working their way into society alongside their parents. C. D. Warner, issued “The South Revisited,” for Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, on March 1887.
The wealth of the North was marching forward as the South was following along attempting to have industries. Instead of a devotion to farms, there was a commitment to developing businesses. “Rapidly opening mines, building furnaces, foundries, and all sorts of shops for utilizing the native riches” (Document B) were being established. The South was using “King Cotton” to benefit their economy but ultimately it failed. To become more efficient it needed revisements and since the era became technological they saw this as their opportunity to expand themselves from the rural landscapes.
Nativists feared that the new people entering their terrain did not belong. The businessmen saw it as an opportunity of because their willingness to work was strong. One of the most largest and common misconceptions is that the millionaire men were taking advantage of the people without anything in return. People were given places to stay and freedom from supression, freedom from their overbearing government’s. At first there were plenty of German and Scandinavian immigrants, however, the Gilded Age saw newcomers including Italians, Baltic, Slavic, and Chinese people.
They were able to hope that they too could be a captain or at least be of assistance to their families and get that American Dream Carnegie, Rockefeller, J. P. Morgan, and Vanderbilt had. Andrew Carnegie’s, Gospel of Wealth, in 1889 concluded that it would be immoral for the men to hoard riches to themselves Furthermore recalling that, “his judgement, is best calculated to produced the most beneficial results for the community” (Document C). Carnegie was capable of placing his money where his mouth was and donated a total of $350 million.
If he was really such a vile, corrupt, shrewd being he would not have made any contribution to society. The world’s richest man used his money he accumulated in an exemplary way, to assist the growth for knowledge by donating to universities, and public libraries. Goods were inexpensive since wages were low and consumers benefited from him in the long run. “The poor enjoy what the rich could not before afford. were the luxuries have become the necessaries of life. The laborer has now more comforts than the landlord had a few generations ago. (Gospel of Wealth)
The average working class citizen had books, pictures, lighting, and more opportunities for education. Even though it can appear to be unfair the competition and conditions of society are also elements of democracy. There were some disadvantages and there will never be a completely equal class system but the advantages exceeded what America was centuries before. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone although it was a luxury many people quickly felt it was a necessity. It became popularized as one of the most prominent inventions, the people in the generation prior to that were unable to do so.
Workers were able to create unions such as the National Labor Union in 1866, in previous years if one were to be against their boss they would have no protection. The Robber Barons of Today, 1889 depicted an image that alludes to the medieval system of lords and serfs. Andrew Carnegie, J. P. Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller were considered to be “Robber barons” because even though they were wealthy there remained to be a high amount of poor people. They were referred to as this label since they were primarily responsible for farmer grievances.
Even though that happened they also made cities such as New York and Chicago prosper. Robber barons” may have utilized methods of horizontal or vertical integration to gain profit from their competitors, but it became evident that a one crop economy was no longer relevant. They were simply attempting striving for more economic endeavors then what had been thought of before. Many of the millionaires believed that it was the lower class fault that they were poor so since they grew up with hardly anything the poor would do the same. James B. Weaver, Populist presidential candidate, A Call to Action, 1892. Trusts were definitely questionable business practices.
Industrial employers took “control of the articles which the plain people consume in their daily life” (Document E). The Populist Party was committed to government ownership of infrastructure so big businessmen would not become millionaires. They were against laissez-faire because that meant some people would prosper over others. With riches there is this increase in responsibility for the rest of the people. The articles that the plain people use daily are civil rights. Workers have their independent rights but being employed also means that the employer has a bit of control over a person and can fire them based off of what they say or do.
Workers could go on strike but their jobs were not guaranteed and they could be replaced. Since that was an extreme risk what they consumed, wages, would be gone therefore meaning that they would not be able to provide for their families. E. Levasseur, wrote “The Concentration of Industry, and Machinery in the United States,” for the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science on March 1897. The article illustrates one of the most compelling parts of industry that “They reproach the machine with degrading man by transforming him into a machine” (Document F).
Philanthropic projects began because entire communities were able to continue growing and industrializing. Machines were an ingenious source that made the American economy better, so, if people’s minds worked like that they would be more innovative. Machines are also cold and made through human power. American government was not discovered, it was not easily this idea practiced on everyone, it was paved, or built, by many influential businessmen. The United States appeared to be a failing experiment for democracy but the only way possible for it to be held together is by capitalism.
Democracy is like a machine the financiers and industrialists kept the gears turning. They had bold visions and constructed strong industries that are still kept to this day. The Breaker Boys worked at Woodward Coal Mining, Kingston, Pennsylvania,c. 1900. Children were also laborers, however, they did not portray themselves as victims especially in this photograph. Should photos represent the awful times in those days? Although there may have been many complications the situation was rather complex. Children were indeed working, yet it would also be done for economic necessities.
Some took pride in their work and made money to help their families. Nobody was forced into employment is was their sole decision to clamor for work. Sixteen year olds nowadays have the same opportunity as the children had back then we decided that there would be an age limit and without these children pioneering labor we would not have made the decision to form such laws. Thousands if not millions of people immigrant or native born were finding jobs because of Carnegie’s US Steel, Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, and Cornelius Vanderbilt railroads.
Advancements in technology influenced people from other countries to make something of themselves. People were lured all around the world to live the American Dream. Children had the opportunity to assist their family members. Although some of the work was tedious it also led to the protection of their health, safety, and educational opportunities. While it may be true that the gap was widened their stories of rags to riches make the argument of them being captains of industry absolutely valid.
They caused the South to move away from one specific method to make money, which had been farming, and made the U. S. Treasury have a surplus of it. Industrial development would not have even continued since they paid for various universities. The South no longer had to work according to seasons or based off of “King Cotton” like they had done so, instead they would be able to have industries to make the U. S. one of the leading countries for manufactured goods. They fundamentally changed our lives we live now and we should be able to learn from our mistakes in history and not let so many corrupt deals occur such as the TRUSTS.
