Beginning in the late 19th century, new technological advances spurred the development of the 2nd Industrial Revolution. Mass production, which was made possible by new machinery from this technological revolution, created a consumer economy in America. Along with consumerism came the development of large corporations such as Ford Motors and Standard Oil. However, the owners of said companies (Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller, respectively) have been termed throughout history as “robber barons”, who were wealthy businessmen that advocated corruption in the pursuit of fiscal gain. Rockefeller himself in the 1900s became known as the world’s richest man, as his Standard Oil created a monopoly over the oil industry. Although John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil hindered the development of small businesses through horizontal integration (control over a specific industry), Rockefeller was minimally a “robber baron” because he adapted philanthropical policies, improved the economy by providing jobs to the working class, and promoted consumerism in America.
Rockefeller’s actions as a public beneficiary prove to be an antithesis to his affiliation as a “robber baron”. By the time of his death, Rockefeller donated over five hundred million dollars to missions and universities. Although the term “robber baron” implies that Rockefeller took advantage of the working and middle classes, Rockefeller gave back to the public through his philanthropy. In addition, Rockefeller had a natural right to the wealth he accumulated, according to William Graham Sumner’s theory of Social Darwinism. Sumner believed that wealth flowed to the most capable people. Following this theory, Rockefeller had a moral responsibility to give back to society, which he succeeded in doing. Rockefeller’s policies as a beneficiary developed out of his policies as a businessman. He once said, “If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it,. This attitude contradicts any characteristic of a “robber baron”. Finally, it can be concluded that the attribution of the status as a “robber baron” to the wealthy is largely a product of the bias and misjudgment of the working classes. For example, prominent lawyer and minister Russell Conwell stated, “ninety-eight out of one hundred of the rich men in America are honest. That is why there are rich,”. Rockefeller’s business strategies of horizontal integration were simply byproducts of the evolving consumer economy in America. His riches came from his donations to the people and from his prevailing attitude towards the improvement of the American economy and society.
