Robber Barons: Power and Perspective
Year 9 Humanities and Social Sciences Understanding Industrial Revolution Business Leaders
What Do You Know? KWL Chart
K - What do you KNOW about the Industrial Revolution? W - What do you WANT to learn about powerful businessmen? L - What will you LEARN today?
Industrial Revolution Context
Late 1800s America - rapid industrialization New technologies: steam power, railroads, factories Massive wealth creation opportunities Little government regulation of business
Who Were the 'Robber Barons'?
Powerful businessmen of the late 1800s Built massive companies and fortunes Used aggressive business practices Called 'robber barons' by critics who thought they stole from others
Meet the Giants: Rockefeller vs Carnegie
{"left":"John D. Rockefeller - Standard Oil Company\nControlled 90% of America's oil\nUsed vertical integration strategy","right":"Andrew Carnegie - Carnegie Steel Company\nDominated steel production\nUsed innovative manufacturing methods"}
Their Business Practices
Monopolies - controlling entire industries Buying out competitors Cutting prices to drive others out of business Then raising prices once competition was gone
Group Activity: Different Perspectives
Group 1: Positive Impacts Group 2: Negative Impacts Group 3: Economic Innovation Research and prepare your viewpoint!
Think About This...
Were they innovative pioneers who built America? Or greedy exploiters who harmed workers and competitors? Can someone be both at the same time?
The Two Sides of Power
Positive: Created jobs, built infrastructure, donated to charity Negative: Poor working conditions, destroyed competition, extreme inequality Your task: Decide which view you find most convincing
Reflection & Next Steps
Complete your individual worksheet Define 'Robber Barons' in your own words Share one positive and one negative impact Homework: Research another business leader from this era