Industrial Corruption Thomas Gaston APUSH

The rise of Industrial Corruption Industrial Corruption began growing soon after the Industrial Revolution in America peaked. Monopolies in steel and oil began to form Many of the leaders and shareholders of these monopolies wanted more money than they already had Some examples of industrial corruption would be the use of trusts, the unsafe work hours, the use of child labor, and making very bad quality products.

Upton Sinclair and The Jungle Upton Sinclair was a socialist muckraker from California who wrote over 100 books in an attempt to decrease industrial corruption and bring forth social justice. The jungle is a 1906 novel that was an attempt to show the atrocities committed by meat packing factories. It gave examples of inhumane conditions and disgusting behavior such as adding poisoned rats to meat. The novel was an effective way of showing citizens the lengths to which factories would go to save money.

John Sherman and the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 Senator John Sherman was a man from Ohio who served in various government positions from 1861 to 1898. He was a representative, Secretary of The Treasury, a senator, and Secretary of State. He was a strong proponent of capitalism and in turn, a great opponent of industrial corruption. The Sherman Antitrust act, or as is called in other countries, competition law, is an act passed by congress in 1890 to try to reduce the effectiveness of industrial corruption by prohibiting certain actions performed by major corporations and large businesses that are deemed, “anti-competitive". It also requires the government to investigate and watch trusts formed by businesses.

JP Morgan John Pierpont Morgan was an American banker and a man who drove industrial consolidation and corruption during the late 1800s. J.P. Morgan began his career in the New York financial industry in the late 1850s. He co-founded the banking firm that became J.P. Morgan & Co. in 1871, and in the 1880s he established himself in the country's railroad industry. Along with amassing immense wealth through the creation of such corporations as U.S. Steel, Morgan led efforts to bail out the U.S. Treasury in 1895 and 1907. In essentially funding the government, he was able to make an incredible sum of money and died in Rome leaving behind a world renowned art collection.

Downfall of Industrial Corruption Industrial Corruption began to decline with the many competition laws and antitrust acts passed. The creation of the FTC, the Federal Trade Commision, that observes and regulates all trade in the United States. Small businesses making cheaper and higher quality product than massive monopolies led to lost profits for large corporations.

Work cited "The Antitrust Laws." The Antitrust Laws Federal Trade Commission. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2017. "J.P. Morgan." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 09 Jan. 2017. Web. 09 Feb. 2017. "Upton Sinclair." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 07 Aug. 2015. Web. 09 Feb.