There were many famous industrialists during the 19th century. To a great extent, they can be considered robber barons because they used unfair tactics to gain an advantage over their rivals. Examples of Robber barons were John D. Rockefeller in the oil industry and Jay Gould in the railroad industry. These robber barons were wealthy and powerful due to a plethora of methods that they used to become the top business of their industry. They maintained power by eliminating competition and forcing rival companies to go out of business. Unethical maneuvers allowed them to gain popularity and enormous amounts of wealth. Rockefeller and Gould were two very rich robber barons and their strategies helped them form a monopoly over rival businesses
John D. Rockefeller used many unjust…show more content… “Many of Gould's notorious episodes involved manipulation of stock prices. For instance, he might buy up as much stock of a company as he could, causing the price to rise” (McNamara). This made him a robber baron because he manipulated the stock prices so he could gain an advantage.. “Gould engaged in outrageous financial manipulations, including the issue of fraudulent stock and the payment of lavish bribes to New York state legislators to legalize that stock’s sale” (Encyclopedia Britannica). Manipulation of stock helped Gould eliminate his competition in the railroad industry. His business practices were what made him a robber baron. Jay Gould and John D. Rockefeller can be considered robber barons due to their unjust business practices. They eliminated competition and forced rivals to go out of business. Their strategic business work allowed them to form a monopoly. Robber barons were greedy, and they cared about being wealthy and having a successful business. These individuals were the true definition of a robber baron. Gould and Rockefeller were two of the wealthiest businessmen during the 19th
