The Legacy Of John Davison Rockefeller - 1656 Words

John Davison Rockefeller was one of the captains of industry during the gilded age, and is most known for his numerous philanthropies in his later years; however, most people are unaware of his exploitation of America’s free capitalistic enterprise to amass a fortune, the likes of which this country had never seen before. Rockefeller’s company, Standard Oil, helped America explode as an industrial superpower on the world stage and, in the process, allowed Rockefeller to amass a billion dollar fortune for him and his family (Derbyshire 119). His career, from beginning to end, was surrounded by heated controversy and criticism (Nevins 3); however, by the time he died in 1927, the criticism and hatred faded away and the Rockefeller name was†¦show more content†¦William Avery eventually abandoned Eliza and her children. This damaged Rockefeller, but hardened him, allowing him to become the ruthless industrialist of his later years. After graduating from his Clevela nd high school, he was eager to make something of himself. Rockefeller wanted to pursue his own business, and in 1859, with the help of his business partner Maurice Clark, that is just what happened. The â€Å"Clark and Rockefeller† food distribution business prospered, seeing over $450,000 in sales come through their company in the first year, with a $4000 profit (Nevins 7). Rockefeller was a wealthy young man ready to invest in something new, so his attention turned to the new industry of crude oil (Derbyshire 124). This was a bold move, but Rockefeller became the man he is by taking the path less traveled. Rockefeller was a smart man and knew he could not jump headfirst into oil on his own. He was not interested in the drilling of oil, he was interested in the refining and shipping of oil (Aaseng 25). Seeing an opportunity, John pressed Clark to use borrowed money to expand their empire. A fight ensued and Rockefeller ended up winning. At age 26, after eliminating Clark, R ockefeller gained the largest oil refinery in Cleveland (Derbyshire 127). With this new refinery, he looked to create a brand, a brand that would crush