The Industrial Leaders of the 19th Century Should be Admired for their Work

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The Industrial Leaders of the 19th Century Should be Admired for their Work

The industrial leaders, Robber Barons, of the 19th century are men who are very respected and admired. Andrew Carnegie was a boy from Scotland who came over to this country with nothing. He continued to save and work his way up in the industry until he had complete control over the steel industry. John D. Rockefeller was also one who came from an ordinary home. When he saw an opportunity, he took it, along with the risks. He came to control the oil industry. Another man that took many opportunities to expand and grow was Cornelius Vanderbilt. These men saw what they needed to do to become successful and they did it. These men's' lives reflected the Darwinian ideology of the times, "survival of the fittest".

Andrew Carnegie came over to this country in 1848, with his family in the hopes of finding a better life for themselves. At age 14, Carnegie became a courier in a telegraph office. Later, he became involved with the railroad industry and soon was Superintendent of the railroad in Pittsburgh. By the age of 30 he had an annual income of $50,000. Carnegie then left the Pennsylvania Railroad and started concentrating on steel. He would eventually open the Carnegie Steel Company. He was introduced to a new process called the Bessemer process for his steel. At first Carnegie was not sure of this new process but took a chance and adopted it into his company.

Carnegie was a brutal challenger and tried to eliminate his competitors. Another tactic Carnegie used to grow his business was to hold a vertical monopoly. The Carnegie Steel Company bought the iron ore deposits and even many of the steel finishing industries. With the magnificent industry...

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...600 -$700 annually. In the same fashion as Carnegie, Rockefeller gave most of his money to profit other. It has been said that he gave a third of his fortune to charities, organizations, and universities; another third was for him, and the final third he left to his descendants.

These were the great men during their time. They took the American dream and made it come true. These were risk takers and men that recognized opportunity. The time after the Civil War saw the creation of an industrial business boom. These men were either in the right place at the right time, but no matter the reason they succeeded. The most important part is that they show us that with determination and patience you can make a life for yourself. These men were not selfish with there money. Carnegie and Rockefeller both gave millions upon millions of dollars to charities and other causes.

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