Post Civil War Dbq Analysis

For many in the world, success comes in packages of green paper. Such was the case of the capitalists who shaped post-Civil War America. It was the time of the industrial revolution. Along with abundant fossil fuels, and the innovative machines they powered, the Industrial Revolution launched an era of accelerated change that continues to transform human society. It was the time of the greatest industrialists, financiers, and businessmen emerged. The powerful, wealthy industrialists, who controlled the railroads, the steel industry, the tobacco industry, the oil industry, and the financiers, have yet to be classified. Even today, it is debated on whether or not Were they a benefit. they were robber barons. People that limited healthy competition and robbed from the poor solely to benefit the rich. Through unfair business practices, they created complex social and economic changes that led to riots and strikes. First of all, the poor class suffered while these capitalists gained their riches. Using unethical business practices, robber barons have exploited capitalism for personal gain. Andrew Carnegie was one of the most prominent industrialists. After moving to the United States, he worked a series of railroad jobs. By 1889, he owned Carnegie Steel Corporation. He wrote the Gospel of Wealth. In it he insisted that the responsibility of the wealthy man is to produce the most beneficial results for the community (Doc C). The man of wealthy definitely produces beneficial results. Document F shows exactly for whom. Document F is an image of The Breakers. The Breakers is a mansion that was built as the Newport summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. He was a member of the wealthy United States Vanderbilt family. A 70 room mansion seemed quite ostentatious during a time when the plain man struggled to arrange his next meal. Carnegie further continued with talking about how the wealthy man is the trustee for his the poor man (Doc C). The community should be uniting as a result. Political economist and journalist, Henry George pointed out that as liveried carriages appear, so do barefooted children (Doc A). The gap between the poor and wealthy was increasing. Their social contrast was also increasing. Hence, they had a difficult time staying united. If capitalists were giving to the community in return, then the barefooted children should be decreasing. Henry George also agreed with Carnegie with the point that the poorer class is becoming more dependent (Doc A). The wealthy are supposedly the “providers” for the poor, but George shows that they can not do anything for themselves. They have no option but to beg the rich. The Robber Barons of Today image takes it a step further. It shows how exactly how selfish these capitalists had been. Their bulging stomachs …show more content…
The capitalists were the reason so much change was being brought to America. The South was finally industrializing. People were expected to be eagerly working whether that was laying lines of communication and rapidly opening mines (Doc B). The South had a lot of things it needed to accomplish and as a result, everyone was at work (Doc B). The children and women were forced to work. The South was following the footsteps of the North, but at such a heavy price of countless human abuses. Young children had their childhood stolen from them. Document J showed cruel child labor life in action. Young boys, no more than 6 to 7 years old, completed the hazardous job of mining for coal.The breaker boys had the dirty job of separating slate, rocks, and other debris from coal by hand. The photograph captured the poorly ventilated areas of the factory that put the coal dust on their faces. The dust was serious health risk for their lungs. Even the place the kids stood or sat to take this photograph were not meant to support that weight. This dehumanizing was a result of the capitalists’ so-called “industrial revolution”. Besides the job of breaker boys, countless jobs were physically laborious. It was true that the machines did everything.. However, to function that machine requires great strength (Doc G). The laborers are not getting any benefit. The machines need full attention and care at all times. The degrading man was eventually transformed into a machine (Doc