Prosperity After the Civil War
Kellie Bowden
Mr. Strough
APUSH
1 April 2013 During the period of the Civil War, the typical American business was a small, family owned company and it usually produced goods for a smaller, regional market. However, as the Civil War ended, big businesses began to dominate the corporate world. Many businesses, such as the Standard Oil Co. and Carnegie Steel, became monopolies and owned all parts of one particular industry. These huge firms were able to mass produce their products and sell them not only all over the country, but also internationally. Due to the huge transformation in the business world, the economy and politics were affected as well as the American people and unfortunately, these affects turned out to be more negative than positive. As businesses began to form and grow into huge monopolies, the impact they had on the government and politics grew as well. The government at that time had a lassiez faire outlook on businesses. They did not find the need to be involved in business affairs. However, when these mammoth companies controlled all aspects of a particular staple in the American society, many wanted the government to step in and regulate it. The extremely wealthy men who owned these companies were also able to control the government in some ways. As depicted in the cartoon entitled “The Bosses of the Senate,” the entrepreneurs of that time are shown as giant men looking down on all the other “less important” people of the senate. This shows that these men believed that they could not only control the business world, but also the political world as well. The picture also shows a door labeled “Peoples Entrance” with a sign below that says closed. Some people believed that the idea of democracy and governing by the people was slowing decreasing and being taken over by the huge trusts. A sign also hangs above the men of the industry which reads “This is a senate of the monopolists, by the monopolists, and for the monopolists,” showing that
Mr. Strough
APUSH
1 April 2013 During the period of the Civil War, the typical American business was a small, family owned company and it usually produced goods for a smaller, regional market. However, as the Civil War ended, big businesses began to dominate the corporate world. Many businesses, such as the Standard Oil Co. and Carnegie Steel, became monopolies and owned all parts of one particular industry. These huge firms were able to mass produce their products and sell them not only all over the country, but also internationally. Due to the huge transformation in the business world, the economy and politics were affected as well as the American people and unfortunately, these affects turned out to be more negative than positive. As businesses began to form and grow into huge monopolies, the impact they had on the government and politics grew as well. The government at that time had a lassiez faire outlook on businesses. They did not find the need to be involved in business affairs. However, when these mammoth companies controlled all aspects of a particular staple in the American society, many wanted the government to step in and regulate it. The extremely wealthy men who owned these companies were also able to control the government in some ways. As depicted in the cartoon entitled “The Bosses of the Senate,” the entrepreneurs of that time are shown as giant men looking down on all the other “less important” people of the senate. This shows that these men believed that they could not only control the business world, but also the political world as well. The picture also shows a door labeled “Peoples Entrance” with a sign below that says closed. Some people believed that the idea of democracy and governing by the people was slowing decreasing and being taken over by the huge trusts. A sign also hangs above the men of the industry which reads “This is a senate of the monopolists, by the monopolists, and for the monopolists,” showing that