Post on 17-Dec-2015
Big Business
A Change in Values
• The Old : handmade goods, self-sufficiency, rural population, family is very important.
• The New: machine-made goods, inter-dependency (division of labor), urban population, family is less important
New values: speed, convenience, power, profit
Free Enterprise
• Capitalism – Economic system where private businesses run most industries.
• Free enterprise – a business that is free from government involvement
• Entrepreneurs – people who start a new business– Proprietorship – One owner– Partnership – Two or more owners– Corporation – Many owners
The Cycle of Industry
DEMAND
IDEA
PRODUCTIONMARKETING
CONSUMPTION
Reasons for the rise of heavy industry
• 1. Natural Resources• 2. Inventions• 3. Investors (Entrepreneurs)• 4. Large labor force
What allowed these four factors to bring about HUGE profits?
• 1. New Sources of Power– (steam, coal, oil, electricity, solar,
nuclear, ?)• 2. Transportation improvements
(railroad, automobile, planes/jets, rockets . .) • 3. Improved Communications
(telegraph, telephone, radio, television, . . .)
Social Darwinism and Philantrhopy
• Laissez Faire Capitalism Hands off economic system.
• Necessary limits are still implemented– Child labor laws, minimum wage, safe working
conditions, environmental laws• Survival of the fittest We know what Darwins
theory of survival of the fittest looked like, how does it pertain to businesses? – What did animals do to survive in their environment?
Pittsburgh at night
http://sayiamgreen.com/blog/2009/09/the-10-most-polluted-cities-in-the-world
/
The Anti – Trust Movement
• As corporations grew stronger, some used their power to drive smaller competitors out of business. – How might a big company be able to do this?
• Monopolies• 1890 – Sherman Antitrust Act is passed Any
attempt to monopolize… any part of the trade or commerce among the several states was a crime.
Self made millionaires
Cornelius Vanderbilt
• 1. Nicknamed “The Colossus of Roads”• 2. The first millionaire• 3. Established a railroad monopoly in New
York• 4. Was worth $150,000,000 when he died in
1877
Tell a person of the opposite sex
What characteristics do you think are necessary to make someone a self-
made millionaire?
Andrew Carnegie• Age 12 – earned $1.20 per week as a bobbin boy• Won a job as a telegrapher; stayed up at night memorizing morse code• Invested in capital, little bits at a time ex. “Sleeping cars”• Gained a monopoly in the steel industry:
– Vertical Integration• Remembered for his “Rags-to-Riches” career• Was worth $300,000,000 (today 189 Billion) when he sold Carnegie Steel
to J.P. Morgan in 1901• Was a philanthropist – (Greek) “lover of mankind” ex. Founded 3,000
libraries, several colleges, concert halls• Famous quotations
– “Put all your eggs in one basket.”– “He who dies wealthy, dies disgraced.”
John D. Rockefeller• Organized an oil monopoly in
Ohio; spread to entire East Coast• Remembered for his fierce
competitiveness: “Oil Wars”– was hated by the public and the
media
• was worth 1 billion by 1892; also a philanthropist– First billionaire!
• showed what cost-cutting can do ex. sealing oil drums
• Used horizontal integration• “God gave me my money.”
http://www.jpmorgan.com/pages/jpmorgan
JP Morgan
• 1. American banker and financier• 2. twice “bailed out” the government• 3. Advisor to President Cleveland• 4. Consolidated companies ex. International
Harvester, General Electric, U.S. Steel• 5. Possessed an incredible knack for investing
in lucrative ventures
Top 10 Corporations in America Today
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2012/full_list/