Robber Barons ' Mock Trial
The term robber baron was first created by Matthew Josephson to describe the corrupt, cruel businessmen who made their fortunes off the backs of innocent working-class Americans in the late nineteenth century. While most people can only name a few of the infamous robber barons- like Carnegie, Vanderbilt, and Rockefeller- another, lesser known, thief also falls under that category, more deserving of the name robber baron than even some of the well-known crooks. Leland Stanford was truer to the name robber baron than many others. He took any situation that came his way and manipulated it to increase his power and wealth, no matter who he hurt or destroyed in the process.
Leland Stanford, originally Amasa Leland
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He forced his brothers from the grocery shop they had opened and, despite not even participating in its creation, became the fraudulent store 's only beneficiary. He manipulated his position in the Central Pacific Railroad Company to snatch the position as the California Governor and then used his position as the California Governor to snatch the position of company president from one of his closest friends. He left his original occupation as a lawyer because he wasn 't making what he found to be a satisfactory amount of money and instead decided that his fortune would be more easily made through manipulation, theft, and graft. He manipulated public opinion and forced any scandal that could 've damaged his political or social standing onto those around him, choosing to ruin the lives of his friends and family instead of facing up to his malicious plans and actions. He exploited any person or event in his life to better suit him, even maneuvering his son 's death into a ploy for improving public opinion of himself by opening a prestigious-now well-know- university commemorating his son 's death and drawing the public to love and sympathize with him again. Leland Stanford, in short, was not a Robber Baron; he was a monster who cared for nothing in his life, except money and power and he proved time and time again that he was willing to crush
He was naive and unprepared, and ran away from his problems without really thinking through what he was doing to himself, and to the people who loved him.
Over a century after his death, Stanford’s name lives vividly in international consciousness as one of the most prestigious universities in the United States. However, before he and his wife, Jane, created Leland Stanford Jr. University, his origins begin quite differently: as an adventurous capitalist and politician who made California his stomping grounds over the course of several decades. Stanford experimented with various industries and enjoyed great wealth as one of the major robber barons of the late 19th century. Although Leland Stanford may have achieved his wealth through morally questionable ways, his legacy lives on through what is now called Stanford University, erected in memory of his deceased son.
Although he suffered from a mental illness there was mens era present in his action. At first, he tried to trick the criminal justice
He studied at the University of Washington where he fell in love with a wealthy, pretty young woman from California. She had everything that he wanted and was devastated by their breakup. Many of his later victims resembled her. He often raped his victims before beating them to death.
In 1856 he was elected to New York City’s board of supervisors through most of the 1860s. With this position Tweed begin corrupting the government. In 1860, Tweed opened a law office despite not being a lawyer. All he did was have a friend make him one and then he opened a law firm taking people’s money without legally being a lawyer.
The business leaders of the Industrial Age were both robber barons and philanthropists, but were considered philanthropists because of how they positively impacted the U.S during this time. Some business leaders at times took money and treated their workers poorly which was considered being a robber baron. However, they also made large donations and invented many great things we still use today which makes the business leaders of the Industrial Age philanthropists. Andrew Carnegie was one of the business leaders of the Industrial Age. Carnegie did do things that made him a robber baron at times.
Greed – the extreme, selfish desire to acquire what is beyond average necessities. Whether greed applies to wealth or power, mankind is prone to exemplify the cupidity. Humans may never become truly content with what they are given, allowing them to desire superfluous objects. The development of greed, as shown in repeated history, eventually leads to the ruination of characters, one particular character being Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie, the leader of the steel industry in the 19th century, epitomized the concept of greed by yearning for supplementary profits within his company; this greed greatly affected the lives of many, including Carnegie himself.
Organized crime in the United states was a mixture of guns, violence, prostitution, and large quantities of profits. According to Altman, organized crime consisted of, “executives, midlevel managers, and production workers-otherwise known as bosses” (43). This explains how organized crime was an actual business thoughtfully planned to gain large amounts of profit. A man known as Johnny Torrio took over organized crime business and hired Al Capone. Shortly after in business Torrio decided to retire from the organized crime lifestyle after being
He exercised a mentality of being untouchable seen in the way he pushes the limits of his
Was John D. Rockefeller a robber baron? I’d say so. Through ruthless business tactics and exploitation of workers, he made a fortune in his lifetime. In this paper, I’m going to be talking about said business tactics and exploitation. If you believe Rockefeller was just a good business man who donated to the poor, I hope your view will be changed by the end.
Was Cornelius Vanderbilt a Robber Baron or Captain of Industry? A cruel businessman or an industrious leader? Henry J. Raymond believed that Vanderbilt was “a monopolist that crushed other competitors”(T.J Stiles). While he is also deemed one of America’s leading businessmen, and is also credited for helping shape the United States. His fortunes were made unfairly in some cases but his million dollar contribution to the Navy was very generous.
Some view him as a hero whose ideals should be embraced, while others see him as an arrogant, stubborn, and reckless vagabond whose dreams led to his demise. With numerous opinions about who he was, it is up to the reader to choose their ideas of who he was. To me and many others
He was very determined to make it out of the neighborhood that he grew up in and be someone when he got older. This was his motivation to conquer all, so when he went to school he put in that extra effort that was necessary. Which was getting good grades in school and making sure that his home situation was always taken care of also.
To his enemies and most often his competitors and roadies and hookers he was the sneakiest most underhanded son-of-a-bitch the world has ever