US History
Webquest Industrialization
Robber barons or Captains of Industry?
—The United States experienced exponential industrial growth during the late 19th century.
Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan and Vanderbilt are constantly revered as the business men Bill Gates,
Donald Trump, Warren Buffet look up to. How did the above industrialists impact America? How
did they become so successful? Why are they looked up to as heroes of Industrialization? Do they
deserve all this praise? These are some of the questions you’ll be answering today.
Your researchable question: Are these men Robber Barons or Captains of Industry?
By identifying these individuals as captains of industry, we offer a positive impression of their
achievements as men of inventiveness who hard work and ingenious strategies transformed the
American economy of the post-Reconstruction era and the early 20th century. These men are to
also be honored for their charitable activities (philanthropy).
In extending the title of robber baron to these men, we emphasize the cruel and self-centered
entrepreneurs who took advantage of the worker, whether it be immigrant, female, or child to
accumulate wealth. The factory was a place where the worker experienced harsh conditions and
poor pay.
You will be working to research the actions of these men. You will identify both the positive and
negative actions of each man listed. You will then decide and describe if each figure deserves the
title Robber baron or Captain of Industry. (One paragraph explaining your position of each
individual)
Here are the names:
Andrew Carnegie
http://www.biography.com/people/andrew-carnegie-9238756
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/peopleevents/pande01.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Carnegie
http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Carnegie-Andrew.html
John D. Rockefeller
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Rockefeller
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rockefellers/peopleevents/p_rock_jsr.html
http://www.notablebiographies.com/Pu-Ro/Rockefeller-John-D.html
http://www.biography.com/people/john-d-rockefeller-9461341
Cornelius Vanderbilt
http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Vanderbilt_Cornelius.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_Vanderbilt
http://www.biography.com/people/cornelius-vanderbilt-9515195
http://www.nnp.org/nni/Publications/Dutch-American/vanderbiltc.html
JP Morgan
http://www.biography.com/people/john-pierpont-morgan-9414735
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._P._Morgan
http://www.fordham.edu/academics/colleges__graduate_s/undergraduate_colleg/fordham_colle
ge_at_l/special_programs/honors_program/hudsonfulton_celebra/homepage/biographies/jp_mo
rgan_32212.asp
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/1900/peopleevents/pande10.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/web10/features/bio/B14.html
http://www.biography.com/people/john-pierpont-morgan-9414735/videos/jp-morgan-fullepisode-2073249939
Part 2: Business Terms
Directions: Identify the following terms as they relate to business in the late
1800s.
1. Monopoly
2. Trust
3. Holding Company
4. Vertical Integration
5. Horizontal Integration