When the names Carnagie, Rockefeller, and Pullman come to mind,
most of us automatically think of what we saw or read in our history
books: "These men were kind and generous and through hard work and
perseverance, any one of you could become a success story like them,"
right? Wrong. I am sick of these people being remembered for the two or
three "good deeds" they have done. Publicity and media have exaggerated
the generosity of these men, the government has spoiled these names with
false lies, and people have been blind to see that these men were
ruthless, sly businessmen who were motivated by your money and their
struggle for power.
George M. Pullman is best remembered for his contributions to the railroad
industry through the invention of his Pullman Cars. The cars sold well
and the railroad industry flourished with this new invention. Although
the success attached to his name, not many people know the real truth
behind this robber baron. His greed for money took him to extreme
measures as his workers were seriously mistreated and put under strict
restrictions. For instance, every worker had to live in his village
(Pullman, IL) and under no circumstances was anyone allowed to leave. The
people had to buy from his store, pay him rent, and attend work every day.
People who did not abide were heavily penalized by their name being
written on black book (which meant that this worker couldn’t get a job in
any other industrial field). How many history books teach such in-depth
details like these?
Another prime example of the acts of a robber baron can be seen through
the actions of John D. Rockefeller. A picture in my history book shows a
group of people watching an old Rockefeller crouch over to accept a flower
from a little girl. The caption reads "John D. Rockefeller, American
industrialist and philanthropist, is caught doing one of his good deeds."
No wonder that...
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