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Robber Barons in America
Summary: Following the Second Industrial Revolution in the later 1800s, large corporations began to monopolize every aspect of American life. Later on, some historians began branding these industrialists as "robber barons" for selfishly manipulating the situation for their own personal gain. Efforts to stop the wrath of these robber barons did not come about until the Progressive Era of the early twentieth century.
"Robber baron" is a term that originates in 12th and 13th century feudal Germany. This term originally refers to the feudal lords of land who abused their powers by forcing tolls on ships that passed by, without the authority to do so. They were given this title due to the fact that they either charged higher tolls than permitted, or they did so without the consent of the Holy Roman Emperor. Like the feudal lords of land, the industrialists of the 1870s could very well be titled "robber barons," for they selfishly sought to increase their profits at the expense of their workers who labored endlessly under the most horrific conditions. Moreover, since the government was pro-laissez-faire and supported large businesses, they abused their powers by misusing the land, exploiting workers, using forms of consolidation to monopolize (such as pools and trusts), and engaging in unethical practices (such...
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This section contains 786 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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