John D. Rockefeller was a captain of industry who helped to make America strong. As much as a good as person he was, he was also a robber baron who used ruthless business practices to enrich himself. In 1839 – 1937, Rockefeller was a very important American industrialist, philanthropist and a founder of many important places. John D. Rockefellers’ business career was being the main founder and one of the chairmen of the Standard Oil Company. Rockefeller was an intellectual man in the organization and method of things.
When the Pennsylvania Oil Strike came about (1859) and the building of a railroad to Cleveland, they came about into oil refining with a guy by the name of Samuel Andrews. He was an expert on that type of field work. After working about two years with Samuel, Rockefeller became a senior partner. Rockefeller and Andrews’s oil refinery became Cleveland’s largest refinery at that time. Meaning they were already rising. As the article “John D. Rockefeller: Was a robber baron Of Petroleum? “, by Laura Writes she states, “John D. Rockefeller was a robber baron who used illegal tactics to get himself to the top and drive other petroleum and oil companies out of business…
He hid from the public, asked for secret deals on oil shipment, and encircled himself with the top men in order to ensure his success and the demise of all other oil refineries” (Writes). This quote supports how Rockefeller wanted for his own purposes, his business to be more prosperous than anyone else’s. Therefore, he knew he had to swindle his way to success. Rockefeller opened a new oil refinery, The Standard Works, which was opened in 1865 with his brother Williams name.
A year later in 1866, a sales office was opened in New York City. The Standard Oil Company in Ohio in 1870 by Rockefeller, his brother, Flagler, Harkness, and Andrews, had a capital of $1 million and paid very well. It paid a dividend of 40 percent a year later. His actions had a very good affect in the oil business. It helped many people that needed jobs so they could eat at least once or twice a day. Also, in the same article by Writes, it states that a business historian by the name of Matthew Josephson states that Rockefeller made a plan that was made to “… ontrol and direct the flow of oil into the hands of a narrowed group of refiners” (Josephson).
This part of text supported how Rockefeller was negligent about other peoples’ feelings. Rockefeller only cared about making business, getting to the top, and over passing his enemies. “He would spy on other companies to find out what type of competition he had. He secretly bought out companies, and then used them to buy out other competitors secrecy” (Ernst). This text reveals how Rockefeller found his way to grow his business and secretly become a thriving man.
Competition did not seem to be hard on Rockefeller because he was intelligent to finding his way of getting away with what he wanted. He fought with his competitors to see who would come out at the top. Also “Pay was reasonable [to workers] and conditions were not harsh” (Ernst). By the pay being good to workers, Rockefeller saw that he was able to get his way of not being caught by looking at other companies without others knowing besides his workers. You could say that he treated his workers well, but he also took advantage of them. He made them work a lot of hours and never got paid the minimum the government says they should.
John D. Rockefeller became one of the richest people in the oil industry at that time. He went from a worker to a clerk, to giving a fraction of his money to noble charities. In the article “American History”, by William McGuire and Leslie Wheeler they say, “Early in his career, he said prophetically to a banker, “Someday I’ll be richest man in the world” (McGuire, Wheeler). McGuire and Wheelers’ text reveals how one of Rockefellers’ goals was to also become rich besides wanting to have a successful oil company. But having money and success was not all, he also gave to charity.
In the article, “John D. Rockefeller Oil King”, by Barbara D. Krasner she states “He also gave $550 million in 1913 to start the Rockefeller foundation. It still serves the arts, public health, and medical training fields” (Krasner). This quote by Krasner supports how Rockefeller did not only care about how his business was going, whether he was being known for his success. Rockefeller also cared to make America better by giving away money to charities that would do well for the society. To charities that were good for education, medicine, and science. John D.
Rockefeller was a captain of industry who helped to make America strong. Although, he did spy on other companies to better his own business, that didn’t stop him from being a generous and caring man. Rockefeller had a positive effect on America because he gave away money to charities, built great industries and donated lots of money to churches and schools. John d. Rockefeller was the founder of the University of Chicago, (a university that opened in a church in 1892), and the Rockefeller University, (an institute of medical research in New York City), that was charted in 1901.
He was also the founder of the General Education Board, (established in 1902), as well as the founder of the Rockefeller foundation, (charted in 1913 to promote peace throughout the world) (Unknown). He was a very rich person who funded many universities. He funded the establishment of Central Philippine University (where Philippines could study). John D. Rockefeller was a person who was well known for his philanthropic contributions and charitable contributions.
According to the New York World, in 1880, the Standard Oil Company was “... he cruelest, impudent, pitiless, and grasping monopolies that ever happened in a country”. The text supports how Rockefeller used cruel, ruthless, business practices to not only enrich himself but others. Rockefeller and his associates owned a lot of different operations. Each one operated in just one state. In 1882, Rockefeller’s lawyers created a form of corporation to centralize their belongings. That gave birth to the Standard Oil Trust. The people and the press were curious to know if what they were doing was legal or illegal.
The Standard Oil Company gained power that always over passed it competitors, critics, and its political enemies. In conclusion, John D. Rockefeller was a person with much character that gave what he had to help others but at the same time used his power to control his workers. He is like an animal, (snake), which should not be trusted. He did some good to America like funding programs and become a founder of some important universities. Rockefeller gave to plenty of charities.
Rockefeller did not only always waste his money in his Standard Oil Company. He gave new foundations that help in the arts, public health, and medical training fields (Krasner). He also gave people a better life style in terms of living life by giving pay fair enough for workers secrecy. He also hurt some small business cause of his rivalry with other big business. Rockefeller hurt other businesses by him being the top moneymaker. Large trusts and big corporations had a lot, too much, power in terms of government. What is your opinion on John D. Rockefeller? Was he a captain of industry who helped to make America strong or was he a robber baron who used ruthless business practices to enrich himself?