I start by asking myself what does the word "Captain" mean to me. A captain is someone who leads! The age of industry had many captains who contributed to the movement in their own field. These men changed America and at the same time made their fortunes and reputations. In my essay I will discuss three of these captains. (Note: Mr. Baskind, I felt that if I started listing each and every industrialist I would simply overwhelm the reader - I selected three main ones to illustrate their positive role in industrial age; when proving the Robber Barons I used other examples to make the argument) Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt consolidated the railroad system. Andrew Carnegie revolutionized the steel industry. Thomas Edison discovered electricity and the ability to transmit it. There were a countless number of these

With the help Cornelius Vanderbilt, a more efficient rail system was created. Via horizontal integration, he consolidated, combining small lines into a single company. His brilliance allowed the completion of the new railroads system. "By 1886, the railroads had adopted a single gauge." (Textbook, 423) Since trains were able to run longer distances without stopping, passengers and freight moved faster. At the same time, the freight rates decreased. Farmers now were in reasonable distance of railroad depots, which meant manufacturers could locate their plants anywhere and be able to bring in raw materials and send their products wherever they could find customers. Also, freight and passengers could travel by rail without interruptions. With the railroads connecting the east and the west coast, many people moved westward and began to take advantage of the opportunities that the west offered, such as cheap land, gold, new businesses, and more. Through the development of a transcontinental railroad system, the west was settled and many American dreams were in reach.

The factory owners used federal troops and state militia against strikers. They hired private armies against the strikers with intent to maim and kill for stopping union strikes. These rapid changes in the ways of business caused a wide spread of socialism. Many common workers believed that the government should take full control of the big business and industries to regulate price, working condition, and enforce illegal deals between industries to wipe out competition.

The government was flooded with corruption and bribes originating with the great industrialists. For example, Thomas Edison promised New Jersey politicians $1,000 each in return for favorable legislation. Another example is Daniel Drew and Jay Gould spent one million dollars to bribe the New York legislature to legalize their issue of $8 million in "watered stock". (Zinh, 248)

The discovery of a method for transmitting electricity helped to light up our daily lives. Thomas Edison's discovery of electricity and a method of transmitting it were significant in many ways. Due to this discovery, businesses could operate around the clock. We were no longer limited to the hours of daylight that the sun provided. Now, that cities were liberated from darkness people were able to be more productive, as well as businesses. Because electricity was supplied to homes and businesses, everyone was able to benefit from it. "By 1882, the Edison Illuminating Company already brightened the skyline of New York City at night" (Textbook, 426)

The most dramatic illustration of the power of the corporations came during the 1877 Railroad strike. The railroad companies agreed to cut wages by 10%. Their policy was "earn more, spend less". B&O, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh Railroads all cut wages and laid off workers by hundreds. Workers revolted by stopping operation of all trains and jamming the tracks. They continued to burn buildings and locomotives. The railroad companies refused to negotiate. The unemployed workers were viewed at the cause of the depression. The strike extended itself to other cities and the other workers joined the cause. This resulted in nationwide strike. With the request of the railroad companies, the government stepped in by sending in state militia to break up the strikes. The militia was ordered to break up the strike with any means necessary. This lead to bloodshed as the militia opened fire on the unarmed groups of strikers. Soon, the strike was defeated. These events left a scar on America's face. This illustrates how stubborn and inhumane the railroad leaders became. All they had to do is offer fair wages to avoid the conflict. (Video)

Carnegie had the motif of "from rags to riches". It did hold true for his life, but this was a very extreme example, one of a kind. As a study conducted, "90% of all executives that were multimillionaires came from middle or upper class families" (Zinh,

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2938
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)