Robber Barons or Heroes

324 Words2 Pages
Many Americans people consider people like John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, and Cornelius Vanderbilt as heroes or captains of industry in the nineteenth century. While some considered these men to be robber barons because it was said that they were "cruel and ruthless businessmen who would stop at nothing to achieve great wealth." It was also said that, "These "robber barons" were accused of exploiting workers and forcing horrible working conditions and unfair labor practices upon the laborer." I believe that some of that may be true, but these men are still captains of the industry. These men were creative and industrious leaders who helped make America's economy, which was slacking, into a thriving economy. It is said, " They were praised for their skills as well as for their philanthropy (charity)." For that reason, I believe they weren't robber barons because of their generosity of giving money to others who needed it. They set an example to all of America that if you work hard you can achieve anything. These heroes transformed America into a thriving country economically by the use of vertical or horizontal monopolies. If it weren't for them, America might not be the same country it is today. Have you every heard of a monopoly? Did you know their are two types of monopolies? These two types of monopolies are Vertical and horizontal monopoly. Vertical monopoly is another name for vertical integration. Vertical integration is when a company or owner attempts to own all parts of a business from start to finish. For example the oil companies adapted the vertical integration by owning the whole supply chain. Horizontal monopoly is another name for horizontal integration. Horizontal integration is when a company owns all of the competition in the same business or industry. For example John D. Rockefeller bought out almost all his competitors in the oil business.
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