American tycoon John D. Rockefeller started from the bottom and worked his way to the top. He was a very intellectual individual who greatly influenced American Society. Using his brains and resources wisely, John Rockefeller became one of the smartest and richest people in the country. Throughout his life, John achieved several outstanding achievements that most Americans strive for.
Rockefeller grew up in a middle class family who helped shape him. One main influence was his father, William Rockefeller, who was a large figure. Often, William, nicknamed Big Bill, cheated his son’s out of money to make them sharp (Coffey, 1989). Eliza Davison Rockefeller was John’s mother. John was named after his grandfather Davison …show more content…
Standard Oil bought thousands of acres to block pipeliners from competitors. Then, Rockefeller used vertical and horizontal integration to rapidly grow his industry. Regardless, Standard Oil even disturbed its products around the globe. Standard Oil even had the idea to employ scientists to find different ways for the use of petroleum.
Rockefeller was a modern robber baron. Railroads paid tribute to him. Even more, he forced the rest of the oil refineries to join him. Rockefeller thought of himself as bringing control of the oil industry (Coffey, 1989). John even thought it was right between him and god.
As Rockefeller’s Standard Oil company grew, he bought out companies. Rockefeller went as far as to try to buy out his brother’s business. John’s brother, William, never forgave him for doing so (Coffey, 1989). William even moved his children’s burials because of his disgrace for him (Coffey, 1989). Also, he tried to buy out his old boss’s refinery.
As Rockefeller built Standard Oil, several factors tried to stop him. Producers and refiners made public protests to railroads for making deals with Rockefeller. Even legislatures in …show more content…
Laura Celestia Spelman came back to Cleveland to teach. As a result, Rockefeller was attracted to her not only for her looks, but by her moral principles (Coffey, 1989). For this reason, Laura blessed him with five children, although Alice, a daughter, died in infancy. Also, Laura a was the namesake of Spelman College, which John helped finance.
Besides business, John D. Rockefeller was a loving husband and family man. John even loved outdoor activities (Coffey, 1989). Also, he had an amazing sense of humor (Coffey, 1989). For these reasons, John’s children became very successful in life from his teachings. Junior, John’s son, signed a pledge at the age of 10 to never smoke, drink, or swear, since the Rockefellers were christians.
Rockefeller enjoyed going to church. In his early social life, he began attending the Erie Street Baptist Church. He would attend Sunday service twice a day and also a service on Friday night. John was a committed christian who supported temperance (“John D. Rockefeller”, 2010). Being a philanthropist, Rockefeller helped to create one of the wealthiest churches in the United States with his