Daniel Dale
US History 2020
The myth of the robber barons, a review
“The myth of the robber barons” by Burton W. Folsom Jr. is a History Professor at the College of Hillsdale who tells the story of big business in early america and shows the men of this time period being the reasoning for america's advancement into its own industrial and transportation revolution, he writes this book for the college student wanting to understand american market practice of the time as well as the light reader.
The author explains two different types of big businessmen in america during this time, one being the market entrepreneur and the other being a political entrepreneur. The author explains the difference between the two meaning the political entrepreneur is lobbying congress for government and either pocketing the money or wasting the money through inefficient business practices, he shows the market entrepreneur as a risk taker who is constantly trying to …show more content…
The author does a great job in defining each “robber baron” and how they came to be however, it does seem he is picking and choosing statistics he shows as he offers a poor to a nonexistent argument to the businessmen not on government funding but he does break the stereotype to students that not all the businessmen of the time were out to trick customers and holds true to his thinking that federal aid and taxes can ruin the economy. The economy should be like social darwinism, only the fit will survive. The author can also improve the book by providing graphs of prices for steel, ticket prices, as well as oil barrels right next to the pictures of the businessmen.
Folsom, Burton W. The myth of the robber barons: a new look at the rise of big business in America. Herndon, VA: Young Americas Foundation,
US History 2020
The myth of the robber barons, a review
“The myth of the robber barons” by Burton W. Folsom Jr. is a History Professor at the College of Hillsdale who tells the story of big business in early america and shows the men of this time period being the reasoning for america's advancement into its own industrial and transportation revolution, he writes this book for the college student wanting to understand american market practice of the time as well as the light reader.
The author explains two different types of big businessmen in america during this time, one being the market entrepreneur and the other being a political entrepreneur. The author explains the difference between the two meaning the political entrepreneur is lobbying congress for government and either pocketing the money or wasting the money through inefficient business practices, he shows the market entrepreneur as a risk taker who is constantly trying to …show more content…
The author does a great job in defining each “robber baron” and how they came to be however, it does seem he is picking and choosing statistics he shows as he offers a poor to a nonexistent argument to the businessmen not on government funding but he does break the stereotype to students that not all the businessmen of the time were out to trick customers and holds true to his thinking that federal aid and taxes can ruin the economy. The economy should be like social darwinism, only the fit will survive. The author can also improve the book by providing graphs of prices for steel, ticket prices, as well as oil barrels right next to the pictures of the businessmen.
Folsom, Burton W. The myth of the robber barons: a new look at the rise of big business in America. Herndon, VA: Young Americas Foundation,