The late 1800s was a time when many Americans felt that their society was dominated by the barons of railroads, steel, finance, and oil. With relatively few sources of information available to Americans, even newspapers at times exerted great influence over the US political atmosphere. Critics have branded industrial dominators "Robber Barons."
What were the benefits of the concentration of these sectors in so few hands?
What were the detractors? What actions did the US government take between the late 1800s and the beginning of WWI regarding such quasi-monopolies and supremely wealthy financiers?
Your research for this topic should extend beyond just the information contained in Carnes and Garrity. Two resources and a list of names are given below to help you get started. Your response should be in the range of 250-500 words.
Names of some prominent business leaders of the era:
Andrew Carnegie
Charles Michael Schwab
William Randolph Hearst
John Pierpont (J.P.) Morgan
Thomas Alexander Scott
John D. Rockefeller.