The Rise Of The Captains Of Industry And Robber Barons

UN agency’s 19th-century industrialists were often called ‘captains,’ which overlaps with ‘robber barsons’. These include individuals such as J. P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie, Andrew W. Mellon and Henry Ford. It was during this period of American history that business titans and titans of industry had more wealth and influence than the current generation of technology visionaries and innovators. The inflation-adjusted wealth of America’s most prominent figures dominated the Gilded Age, which lasted from 1870 to 1900. John D. Rockefeller and Cornelius Vanderbilt were wealthy individuals. They would have been measured in the hundreds to billions of dollars today, far more than Elon Musk, Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg. Jeff Bezos is the world’s richest individual as of 2019. The financial inequalities of an entire era can be highlighted by wealth this large. This idea of grandeur in the face of unresolved socio-economic concerns is what led Mark Twain, an 1873 author, to coin the term “Gilded Age”. This title suggested that while the wealth of the elite was a mask for larger problems facing the middle and lower classes, the veneer of wealth provided little protection for those in the lower and mid-classes. It is impossible to deny the American progress during the Gilded Age. The Second Industrial Revolution was a key part of America’s remarkable economic growth. This expansion was led by some of today’s most powerful and wealthy people. This was due to the railroads which run from coasts to coasts. Technology like typewriters and cash registers helped to revolutionize the way people work. Not only did the economy explode, but so did agricultural technology. Because there were few rules regarding wealth or business practices and so much growth, it was easy for a small group of extremely wealthy people to rise. These individuals had the ability and resources to create jobs and opportunities for many. However, there was less social prioritization of workers’ rights and problems such as discrimination and exploitation. The industrialists that made their fortunes in the late nineteenth Century were known as robber barons and chiefs of industry. While both are often referred to as business tycoons they have a significant difference in how their fortunes were made. The term “robberbaron” dates back to medieval times and has negative connotations. Robber barons often used unethical methods to get rid of their competitors and create a monopoly in their field. They often had little compassion for workers. However, industry captains were often philanthropists. They built their wealth and made sure that society was benefitted by it. This argument has been made that the country’s industrial strength could only be achieved because of these people being able to raise large amounts of capital. They are both “captains and industry” who make our lives more convenient, but I find it difficult to accept that they could also be called “robber barsons”. But it is worth asking yourself where they get their money. So, I’m still not sure of where I stand. Industrial workers fought for more wages, better working conditions and affordable hours. The labor movement was instrumental in preventing child labor, providing health benefits, and providing aid for injured or retired workers. The American nation’s founding years are where the labor movement began. It was established in an artisan market late in colonial America. When New York’s journeymen-tutor protested wage cuts, the first strike was charted in 1768. The founding of the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers in Philadelphia (1794) marks the beginning of American workers’ trade unions. Since then, the number of native craft organizations grew in each city. They published “prices”, defended their trades from low-cost labor and demanded a shorter working day to meet the demands of the Industrial Revolution. It was a rapid rise in job-consciousness, which led to the development of key structural elements that characterize American trade unionism. The first was the 1827 formation of the Philadelphia Mechanics Union of Trade Associations. This union brought together craft unions from the city. Next, the International Typographical Union was created in 1852. National unions started bringing in native trade unions from Canada and the United States. Despite the rise of the factory system, industrial workers were not involved in the development of the first trade unions. Trade unionism was primarily a movement for skilled workers in the 19th century. There were two distinct labor unions in America: the Knights of Labor (American Federation of Labor), as well as the AFL (American Federation of Labor). The AFL was considered a legitimate federation of workers unions. Knights of Labor, however, was more secretive. The American Federation of Labor had a more radical approach to the Knights of Labor. The Noble Order of the Knights of Labor is the secret union formed in 1869 and founded by James L. Wright. The organization was recognized nationally after Terence V. Powderly succeeded Stephens. During Pennsylvania’s 1870 economic depression, the coal miners became more familiar with this union. The Knights of Labor was established as a major labor union after this historic event. Their greatest victories were in the Union Pacific Railroad Strike (1884) or the Wabash Railroad Strike (1885). The Knights of Labor had made several demands, including legislation to end child and convict labor. As unproductive members of society, the Knights of Labor did not include bankers, stockholders or doctors. The union was a strong labor union that flourished, but its membership fell due to mismanagement, an unproductive structure, and unsuccessful strike. The American Federation of Labor was founded after the demise of the Knights of Labor. In Columbus, Ohio 1886 saw the launch of the AFL. The AFL was founded by socialists Peter J. McGuire, Gompers and others. In the latter years of its existence, however, the union began to shift towards conservatism. American Federation of Labor adopted “business unionism” as its philosophy. This emphasized national economic growth and profit. There were many causes for World War I, including politics, secret alliances and imperialism. The assassination Archduke Ferdinand, Austria, was the first event that led to war. The Zimmerman Telegram and Germany’s declared intention to resume unlimited submarine warfare were two of the first events that resulted in the United States declaring war on Germany. The Allies had been the preferred choice for the United States, while the Allies were the most popular. Americans had a common language and felt an affinity for the British. Woodrow Wilson did not hide his dislike for German-born people. Woodrow Wilson once called German Americans the ‘hyphenated Americans.’ However, the U.S. did not enter World War II because of the intense hatred he felt for German Americans. Wilson remarked that he was too proud to fight after the sinking the Lusitania. Many things changed this. The British used to ram German U-boats and often omitted flags from neutral countries. This was also the time when the war was in an impasse. The Germans were forced to find a way to maneuver the war effort. On January 31, 1917, they were informed that Germany would resume its unrestricted submarine warfare. President Wilson was sent a hijacked German telephonegram by the German Embassy to Mexico City, on February 25, 1917. This telegram extended Mexico’s ‘lost territories’ of Arizona and New Mexico. Mexico would have to give up the land it had lost to them in the Mexican American War 1848. The British intercepted and sent the telegram to the U.S. with a clear purpose to ensure U.S. entry to the war on Allied aspects. The German merchant ships of five U.S. were capsized by Germany in March 1917. On April 2, President Wilson delivered a war message for Congress. April 6, 1917 saw the declaration of war. 1919 was the first year that the Senate refused to sign a peace accord. The Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles. It voted 39 to 55. The treaty was signed by President Woodrow Wilson, who advocated a League of Nations-mediated system of peace. The treaty was approved by the Senate in July. However, Republicans were split. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge’s “Reservationists,” drafted the treaty to be approved only if certain adjustments or reservations were adopted. The treaty was rejected by the “Irreconcilables”. Lodge sent the treaty to the Senate with 14 reservations in November. This angered Wilson who tried to get Democrats to accept Lodge’s plan. The Irreconcilables defeated the treaty on November 19, 1919 when a group composed of Democratic senators joined them. The United States did NOT ratify the Treaty of Versailles nor were they a member of League of Nations. Congress approved resolutions officially ending hostilities between the United States and Germany in 1921. Many Americans feared new immigrants and dissidents during the Red Scare from 1919-1920. Red Scare was caused by World War I. Many adopted strong nationalistic and antiimmigrant sympathies. Others were afraid that immigrants, especially from Russia, South and Eastern Europe, might overthrow American government. Many workers joined labor organizations. Labor strikes, such as the September 1919 Boston Police Strike, raised concerns that radicals were planning to set off a revolution. In response, self-declared anarchists mailed bombs to prominent Americans along with United States AttorneyGeneral A. Mitchell Palmer and United States Supreme Court Associate Judge Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. The United States government was furious at the bombings and raided radical organizations’ headquarters, arresting thousands of suspect radicals. Many thousand illegal immigrants were deported. On January 2, 1920, more than 4000 radical suspects were arrested across the country. New England saw more than 800 people arrested from New England. The arrests of Sacco, Vanzetti were made just days before Attorney General Palmer, who warned the nation that plots had been uncovered by the Department of Justice against over 20 federal and state officials in May Day celebrations. Many unionists, communists as well as anarchists and anarchists celebrate May Day, also called International Workers Day. These raids ended after the failed plots did not materialize and there was more criticism of the Palmer Raids. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a non-commercial legal organization that aims to protect the Constitution rights of Americans by lobbying and litigation. Their original mission was to defend and protect the individual rights guaranteed to all citizens in the United States by the Constitution. Each year, the ACLU handles approximately 6,000 court cases and has more than 1.6 millions members. This includes 300 staff attorneys. The ACLU has been vocal in its opposition to mass surveillance under Patriot Act. The Act expanded the government’s authority to monitor internet and phone activity of US citizens in the wake 9/11 terrorist attacks. The ACLU challenged President Donald Trump’s controversial efforts to ban travel from many Muslim-majority countries in 2017. The ACLU received over 350,000 donations online in the two-day following Trump’s executive orders, which amounted to $24 million. This non-profit raises approximately $4 million annually online.