After the civil war, America needed to repair not only
their homes, but also their economy. This took the power of innovators, now
referred to as Captains of Industry.
Some of these groundbreaking men consisted of Andrew Carnegie, J.P Morgan, John
D. Rockefeller, and many others. Although these men worked effortlessly to
bring an era of innovation alive, it’s debatable whether or not they were had a
positive effect on America. Positive—because they brought in funds and work
ethics which helped to inspired Americans towards a brighter future.
Negative—because they showed little appreciation to their employees who helped
to bring their ideas alive. Now the question is which of these effected
Americans more?
Wow! These guys
are great!
In class we watched an ABC Clio video which gave
us an overview of the unit. Splitting into groups to take notes on a specific
aspect of the video (main ideas, key people, important events, or essential
terms) we got a general understanding of the success of these Captains of
Industry. After the video we read through bios of Carnegie and
Rockelfeller which went into the specifics of their industry. By the end
of their careers, both men had made mass donations to charitable organizations
bettering America after the war. They put the money they had worked hard to
earn towards helping the poor. John D. Rockefeller in an interview with William
Hoster, quoted in God's Gold (1932) by John T. Flynn, said, “I believe it is my duty to make money and
still more money and to use the money I make for the good of my fellow man.”
Throughout one of the toughest times in American history, The Great Depression,
these men strived to make a life for themselves and provide for others. With
their understanding of materials people couldn’t live without, Rockefeller
working with oil industries and Carnegie producing steel, they set up
businesses that would strive even in the toughest conditions. But were they
using their power for good?
Maybe not so much…
 |
| "Forty-Millionaire Carnegie in his Great Double Role," The Saturday Globe, 9 July 1892; from David P. Demares. To the right Carnegie gives money to charitable organizations, to the left he lowers the wages of his employees. |
Watching the video recap of Carnegie and Rockefeller’s
successes may have left us in awe of their drive and effective business
tactics, but when we took a closer look at primary soures from this
time period, we realized they may not have been the superheroes America needed.
In a comic strip pictured to the left, it’s clear Carnegie was not as
generous to his workers as he was to charities and other organizations.
Carnegie may have been a saint towards those who were at a disadvantage
compared to the rest of society, but during The Great Depression, the “rest of
society” wasn’t at much of an advantage to begin with. Carnegie helped the
lowest classes by donating his mass of wealth, but his employees’ unfair wages
didn’t help the middle class with their own problems. Seeing as the middle
class makes up a majority of society and that the economy was hurting during
this time, a focus should’ve been put on the middle class. If they had received
the wages and support Carnegie and Rockefeller were giving to the lowest
classes, they would’ve been perpetuated into bettering their financial
situations and stabilizing the economy for all classes. These captain of
industry were, without a doubt, helping some parts of society, but it wasn’t
the part of society that needed the most help at this time.
They were the best
the Great Depression had to offer
Although these guys may not have given their workers a
ticket to a bright and glorious future, they gave their workers something;
which was more than most businesses were doing during this time. Most corporations
were either firing the majority of their staff or shutting down the business
altogether. Carnegie and Rockefeller at least gave their workers a steady
income, even if that income wasn’t the best it could be. Given the
circumstances of America’s economy during this time, the captains of industry provided
their employees with more than most businesses: a stable job, and for that I
believe they had a positive impact on America.
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