Captain of Industry or Robber Baron

The period of invention after the Civil War set the stage for immense industrial growth (Cayton 237). This period of time in the late 1800's is known as the Industrial Revolution. Two prominent names in big business were John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. There is no doubt that these people left their mark on business and on history. However, there is some dispute over how these individuals should be portrayed. Some people say that they …

…immoral and unethical. I see them as clever. They found the loopholes in the system and used them to their advantage. Businesspeople today would do the same thing. No one doubted what their motives were. They wanted to make money, and make as much of it as possible. However, they also used their wealth to benefit the nation. They donated money to innumerable charities and organizations. That in my opinion, makes them captains of industry.