Titans of Industry: PT Barnum

I'm just not quite done yet with this fascination on iconic American capitalists. This time I draw my attention to the famous businessman, PT Barnum. While PT Barnum was not near the wealth level of Rockefeller or Carnegie he was still no doubt a titan of industry. His industry was in the business of entertainment. His American Museum of Curiosities was unlike anything the country had witnessed before. The site was a defining staple of New York City in the 1850s and eventually had a national and worldwide appeal. PT Barnum's museum and shows could be considered a precursor to the modern day circus as well as the establishment of the Broadway theater business. For this reason PT Barnum is often considered the Greatest Showman who ever lived and an definitive American capitalist.

Now just like everything else I write about in this blog, the inspiration always seems to come from a movie I watch. This time it was the film, The Greatest Showman that brought about the interest. The film was released in 2017 and stars Hugh Jackman in the title role, and his 2nd major Hollywood musical film (after Les Miserables of course). I first saw this film on a plane ride to Sacramento last year and was especially inspired by the music of the movie. Some of my favorite songs included "This is Me", "From Now On", and especially "Never Enough" by the beautiful Loren Allred. I would rank this film in some of my all time favorite musical films alongside Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, West Side Story, etc.

And while this film, The Greatest Showman, brought on my interest into Barnum, it wasn't the first time I heard of this historical name. His character was also portrayed in another of my favorite  movies, Gangs of New York. For me the name Barnum has been synonymous with the circus business since I can remember. Personally I am not a fan of circus acts, clowns, freak-shows, and the Broadway scene in general. However I am a fan of history, and cannot deny that PT Barnum was a very influential figure in American business and entertainment.

Early Life of PT Barnum

He was born into a middle class family in Bethel, Connecticut, his father was a tailor and storekeeper. At a young age Barnum displayed a tact for business and had many ventures before he became a showman. Some of these included real estate, general store management, book trade, selling of lottery tickets, and a newspaper publication called the Herald of Freedom. He fought against Calvinist conservative oppression in the Connecticut region and became a champion of the liberal movement. In 1835 he moved to New York City to begin his career in show business.

One of his first major exhibits was an African slave woman he purchased named, Joice Heth. She was old, paralyzed, and blind and Barnum convinced his audiences that she was the 161 year old caretaker of George Washington. He later expanded his business into a variety show with various exhibits and performers, it became known as "Barnum's Grand Scientific and Musical Theater". However he experienced low profit during this time due to the economic downturn of the Panic of 1837.

Barnum's American Museum of Curiosities

In 1841 Barnum made his greatest gamble yet by purchasing the Scudder American Museum on the busy corner of Broadway and Ann Street. He renovated the building with new attractions and renamed it Barnum's American Museum. The building's exterior itself quickly became a major point of interest in the district. It was dosed with colorful flags, paintings, posters, a garden on the roof which offered balloon rides and views of the city, and a lighthouse lamp that gleamed at night. Then of course there were the exhibits inside which ranged from wax figures, exotic animals, and various entertainers.

Barnum was able to increase attendance thru great advertising, promotions, sales gimmicks, hoaxes, and sensationalism. He quickly began recruiting some of the most odd people in the area which he referred to as his people of curiosities. This included dwarfs, giants, albinos, foreign people, extremely overweight people, and a bearded lady. One of Barnum's first popular hoaxes was the "Feejee Mermaid" which he claimed was a half human half fish found off the island of Fiji. This was in truth the head of a dead monkey sewed on to the body of a large fish.

One of Barnum's most popular early acts was that of General Tom Thumb. He was a young performing dwarf who could sing, dance, act, and imitate famous people. In 1843 PT Barnum traveled to perform for Queen Victoria, and General Tom Thumb was a huge hit with the queen. This visit heightened the popularity and success of PT Barnum. By 1846 his museum was drawing nearly 400,000 visitors a year.

Some of his other famous curiosities, often referred to as "Barnum's freaks" by the general public included;

• General Tom Thumb, this witty dwarf was his first and most famous sideshow
• the bearded lady
• the human caterpillar, a man born without legs or arms
• Jo-Jo the dog faced boy
• the living skeleton, an extremely thin man weighing less than 50 pounds
• Zip the Pinhead, a former slave with an abnormally small head
• Commodore Nutt, dwarf entertainer who dressed in naval uniforms
• Anna Swan, was a Canadian giant woman standing at 7'll feet tall
• Chang &Eng, conjoined twins from the island of Siam. These two were such a popular act they are the reason today conjoined twins are referred to as Siamese twins

During it's 20 plus years of operation, Barnum's Museum experienced great success yet also heavy criticism. It was often viewed by some as a complete freak show and a place that lacked morality. Barnum made various efforts to dissuade this criticism, thru theater shows, educational exhibits, and the first ever aquarium. However the museum was constantly in the news for it's outlandish stories and caught on fire various times. One of the most famous of these fires was that in 1865 where animals were seen jumping out of the windows. This included a bengal tiger that attacked the onlookers and had to be killed by a fireman. Barnum was able to open a new museum after this, however it also caught on fire in 1868 leading Barnum to move on to other things.    

Jenny Lind Tour and Theater Business

During his visit to Europe in the 1840s, PT Barnum became aware of the popular singer Jenny Lind, known as the "Swedish Nightingale". In an effort to change his public image from a master of freaks, he convinced Jenny Lind to perform in America. She agreed to the partnership at a hefty price so she could fun charities at her homeland of Sweden. The tour had major publicity thanks to Barnum's advertising and brought on a fervor of "Lind-Mania". Her first show in the states was on Sept. 11th, 1850 in the Castle Garden of New York and was a major success.

With Barnum's management and Lind's beautiful voice, the two made great profits on the tour. They traveled throughout the East Coast, the southern states, and as far as Cuba. Attendance was so high at each show, Barnum began auctioning off tickets, however Lind was distressed by this sort of commercialism. She eventually grew tired of his relentless promotions and business schemes and broke off the partnership in 1851. She did 93 shows under Barnum's management and finished her tour under her own management by 1852. It was perhaps one of the first major musical tours in American history.

Following the end of his partnership with Jenny Lind, Barnum was inspired to build upon his theater business. By 1853 he built the largest modern theater in New York City known as the Moral Lecture Room. His intention was once again to dissuade his business from a "den of evils" and  provide good moral entertainment for middle class families. He organized various shows at this theater ranging from plays, concerts, minstrels, melodramas, farces, lectures, flower shows, beauty contests, dog shows, and even baby contests. He also promoted some of the first ever day-time shows known as matinees to lessen the fear of crime.

Political and Circus Career

Towards the end of his museum business, PT Barnum had a brief stint in politics. He changed parties from Democrat to Republican, convincing the public he had changed his attitudes towards slavery and now stood against it. He was elected in 1866 as a state representative for Connecticut and served one full term until 1869. He later served as mayor of Bridgeport, CT for a year in 1875 and helped establish the Bridgeport Hospital in 1878.

Barnum's greatest fortune however did not come until he was in his 60s when he got involved in the circus business. In 1870 he established "PT Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan, and Hippodrome". This was essentially his museum on wheels, demonstrating his exhibits, animals, and entertainers in a three-ring format. One of the largest attractions of his traveling circus was a giant elephant he bought from Europe known as "Jumbo". Barnum's circus went thru various name changes over the years but in 1881 he merged with ringmaster James Bailey to establish the "Barnum and Bailey's Circus". By the turn of the century it was described as the Greatest Show on Earth.

PT Barnum eventually passed on the management of his circus business to his younger business partners. His traveling circus by train was one of the first of it's kind and paved the way for a booming industry at the turn of the century. In 1891 Barnum died of a stroke at the age of 80. His circus business was sold to the Ringling Brothers in 1907. It still operated as it's own show however until 1919 when it was merged into the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. This circus operated for 147, and just recently shut down in 2017. It is without question the most iconic circus in American history, much thanks to the innovative ambition displayed by PT Barnum. He was an American titan of the circus and entertainment business.     

Historical Look: The Gilded Age

So what began with a fascination with the life of Walt Disney, then inspired me to a study of American industrialists, has now lead to an interest of the entire historical period known as the Gilded Age. This is an era of American history (from the 1870s to the 1900s) I have always been fascinated with, however have yet to make a deep dive into. Well now with the free time granted to me by the holidays and my recent inspirational interest of American industrialists, I am going to study the era in full. This period was essentially an economic boom that transformed America to become one of the most powerful economies in the world.

First to set the stage, the world began to experience an Industrial Revolution based out of Great Britain in the 1830s and 1840s that spread throughout Europe and into America. This was a new age of mechanical innovations, steam engines, iron production, coal production, textile production, chemical advancements, and so forth. The world was experiencing a boom of technology unlike anything  before which also lead to a boom in economy. As a result of this came a golden age experienced by various countries such as the Victorian Age of Britain, the German Empire under Otto Van Bismark, and the Belle Epoque of France (of which I have already written about here).

The United States however was still a young country during this time, and before they could prosper in this industrial renaissance, they first had to resolve their own political turmoils. Due to their Civil War of the 1860s, and a Reconstruction Period in the 1870s, the United States was somewhat late to the global industry boom. However that still did not stop them from building a transcontinental railroad during this war time which would ultimately connect the vast resources from the east to the west coast of America.

By the 1870s as the Reconstruction of the south was coming to an end, the American industry of the north and western parts were finally starting to boom. It began with the booming Railroad industry, that brought about new needs for oil, steel, financing, mining, electricity, and numerous other new markets that began to boom. It did not take long for the United States to become the new center of global commerce which brought on a massive wave of immigration. This pivotal period of American innovation and business, lead to a Second Industrial Revolution, and was a golden era for the American economy, which Mark Twain fittingly called, "The Gilded Age".


Industrial Advancements

I believe there were two defining reasons for this American economic boom. First was the result of industrial-mechanical advancements which I will list here. And second was the ambitious business-men who were able to capitalize on America's free market economy which I will list in the next column. These industrial innovations came from both Europe and America, however it seems clear that America was able to take the lead during this time. From 1860 to 1890 over 500,000 patents were issued for new inventions in America (ten times what was issued in the prior 60 years).

• Railroads: Perhaps the biggest key to the Gilded Age was the boom of the railroad industry, most notable the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1867. Soon railroad companies and tracks were spanning in every direction. This industry was key in connecting business, shipping freight, and also a very effective means of transportation.  
• Steel: One of the key inventions that made steel production more efficient during this time was the Bessemer Process. Thru the use of a giant metal converter iron could be melted and transformed into steel in a matter of 10 minutes. This saved time and labor and gave way to the mass production of steel. 
• Oil: The Petroleum Industry began to take off in the 1850s as a valuable resource for fuel and lubrication. The Oil Boom in America began out of Pennsylvania in 1859 where Edwin Drake introduced the first modern oil well. Also the value for oil increased even more when kerosene was discovered as a more efficient means to lighting. By the late 1860s oil drills and refineries were sprouting everywhere. It did not take long for the Petroleum Industry to surpass the railroad industry as the top market in the nation. Standard Oil became the first major monopoly in the country by using aggressive pricing and vertical integration management to control every aspect of the business. 
• 
  Electricity: One of the biggest technical breakthroughs of the 19th century was the invention of the light bulb which soon became the basis of electrical lighting and power throughout urban cities. This new market eventually began to compete with the need for kerosene. Both direct current and alternating current became effective means of delivering electrical flow. 
• Finance: With the boom of the railroad industry came a need for private financial funding. The majority of this was done thru loans, bonds, and investments by wealthy financiers, not associated with the government. This brought on a major boom of finance and banking based out of New York City in the 1860s. 
• Telecommunications: By the 1830s the Telegraph had become an effective means of communication by transmitting electrical signals over a wire. However the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 made communication all the more clear and efficient. The establishment of Western Union and the American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) improved America's business and communication network.
• Automobiles: In 1881 Karl Benz introduced the first electrical automobile out of Germany. This new means of transportation was at first only a luxury enjoyed by the wealthy, however at the turn of the century it became available to the general public thanks to Henry Ford's mass production of the Model T. 

Key American Inventors 

While the Industrial Revolution was born out of England with numerous British and European inventors there was also a significant amount of American inventors during this time. Many of these American inventors were able to partner with business moguls to establish booming new businesses. For example Edison's work on the light bulb and direct current gave way to General Electric while Tesla's work on alternating current gave wave to Westinghouse Electric. Alexander Graham Bell's first audio transmitting telephone gave way to one of the most profitable telecommunications company in the world of AT&T. 

• Thomas Edison: Perhaps one of the most renown American inventors in history, he is credited with over 300 patents throughout his lifetime that played a crucial role in the industrialization of America. His most significant inventions were that of the light bulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture camera and developed new industries such as electricity, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. 
• Nikola Tesla: He is often regarded as Thomas Edison's arch-rival yet also played a very significant role in the development of electricity. He is best known for his development of alternating current which brought about numerous inventions and breakthroughs in wireless power and communications. Along with his various patents on alternative current mediums, he also is credited with the invention of radio and the remote control. 
• Alexander Graham Bell: He was the inventor of the telephone in 1876 and founder of AT&T. His invention to transfer sound over wire completely changed the telegraphic mass communication industry during this age. He also made contributions to other fields such as wireless phones, hydroplanes, aeronautics, and his invention of the metal detector to find the lost bullet in President James Garfield's body. 
• Samuel Morse: He is credited with the invention of the telegraph in the 1830s and 1840s which became an effective new way to communicate thru electrical signals. By the Gilded Age numerous massive telegraph companies began to boom such as Western Union and the Atlantic Telegraph Company. 
• Elias Howe: He is best known for his invention of the sewing machine in 1846, which played a significant role in the textile industry as well as an effective home tool for women during the Gilded Age. 
• Cyrus McCormick: He is credited with the invention of the mechanical reaper in 1834 which made it much more efficient to harvest crops. The significance of this machine happened slowly, however at the onset of the Gilded Age it became a vital tool for the farming industry.  
• Charles Goodyear: He introduced a new chemical process of vulcanizing rubber in 1840, which brought on a boom in the rubber industry during the Gilded Age. His discovery made rubber a common feature for automobile tires and shoes. Although he died before he could realize the significance of his invention, his name was used for the iconic American Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in 1898 which still thrives to this day.
• Christopher Latham Sholes: He is credited with the first commercial success of the typewriter much thanks to his revolutionary QWERTY keyboard design. The machine was eventually bought by Remington and Sons and became a very sought after device for business and private owners alike. 
• Orville and Wilbur Wright: These brothers from Ohio are credited with designing the world's first successful airplane using technology of the Gilded Age. They implemented their aeronautic designs from earlier concepts of bicycles, motors, and machinery. Their major breakthrough came in 1903 with their groundbreaking Wright Flyer, that utilized three axis control to maintain balance and steering capabilities. This design in flight dynamics became a key contributor to the aviation industry that boomed during the Progressive Era. 

Key American Business Magnates

The Gilded Age saw of boom of industry and wealth unlike America had ever seen before. Thanks to America's unregulated free market economy, various entrepreneurs were able to climb to the top of their respected industry. These business magnates mentioned below, were considered titans of industry. They were also often labeled as robber barons for their ruthless business tactics. Many of America's most wealthy businessman in history came during this period.

• Cornelius Vanderbilt: He was one of the first major industrialists of the Gilded Age, who established a railroad empire that brought him great fortune. His New York Central Railroad and Grand Central Depot became the undisputed leaders of the railroad industry that stirred the American economy.  
• John D Rockefeller: He became a titan of the oil industry thru his early control of the refinement process. Thru vertical integration Rockefeller was able to monopolize the petroleum market and Standard Oil became the most profitable company in American history. 
• Andrew Carnegie: He was a Scottish immigrant who was able to capitalize on the mass production of steel using the breakthrough Bessemer Process. His steel company quickly became one of the largest and most sought after product for railroads, bridges, machines, skyscrapers, and tools. 
• JP Morgan: He was one of the lead financiers of the Gilded Age, having come from a wealthy banking family. His key investments were in backing Thomas Edison's light bulb, the establishment of General Electric, and especially his massive buyout of Carnegie Steel to establish US Steel(the largest business takeover and first billion dollar company in history).   
• George Westinghouse: He was an inventor and entrepreneur first known for his breakthrough invention of the railway air brakes. He later played a pivotal role in the booming electricity market when he financed Nikola Tesla's alternating current experiments. The Westinghouse Electric Company became the main competition of General Electric.  
• Jay Gould: Alongside Cornelius Vanderbilt he was one of the most iconic railroad business magnates of the era. He is also known for making scandalous partnerships with New York businessmen and politicians such as William "Boss" Tweed of Tammany Hall.
• James J. Hill: He was yet another significant railroad businessman during the Gilded Age, managing the Great Northern Railway. Throughout his career he became known as an empire builder for his vast network of railroad companies he built in the northern regions of America.
• Henry J Heinz: He established one of the largest food companies during the 1840s, and is often credited with the invention of ketchup. By the onset of the Gilded Age his HJ Heinz Company was producing over 60 food products such as canned beans, mushrooms, soup, peanut butter, pickles, olives, mayonnaise, mustard, and of course ketchup to name a few. 
• Ezra Cornell: He was a businessman who was able to partner with inventor Samuel Morse to establish the first major telegraph company, Western Union. He also established the Ivy League Cornell University in 1868. 
• Cyrus West Field: He was a financier and businessman who founded the Atlantic Telegraph Company, which became the 2nd largest telegraph business during the Gilded Age, second only to Western Union.
• George Eastman: He was an inventor and entrepreneur who brought photography to the mainstream thru his application of roll film and establishment of Eastman Kodak Company in 1892. He was also an early pioneer in motion pictures and the film industry. 
  
• George Pullman: He was an industrial developer and entrepreneur who introduced the railroad sleeping car in 1864 as a more effective means of passenger service. The sleeping car was a more affordable and luxurious coach for travelers and became a common feature of most rail companies. Pullman is best remembered during the Gilded Age for his company town of Pullman outside of Chicago that housed his workers and his industry. In 1894 as the rail market began to decline a nationwide railroad strike took place and the town of Pullman took center stage for labor union upheaval. 30 workers were killed during the Pullman Strike, making it one of the most violent union strikes in history. 
• Marshall Field: He was an entrepreneur and founder of Marshall Field and Company one of the largest department stores during the Gilded Age. His business was based out of Chicago and excelled for it's high quality and customer service. He achieved great wealth during his career and helped found numerous Chicago landmarks such as the Field Museum of Natural History and the University of Chicago.   
• William Randolph Hearst: He became a newspaper business titan during the 1880s and 1890s. He inherited his father's publishing business and turned it into one of the most successful newspaper publications in New York City. He was able to make his New York Journal publication the most sought after newspaper in the city due to his innovative yellow journalism tactics. This tactic incorporated exaggerated headlines, investigative reports, scandals, tabloids, and sensationalism. Thru this effective news style, Hearst was able to span his publication empire across the country with over 30 different news agencies in various cities. He also later expanded to magazine production and by the turn of the century ran the largest publication businesses in the world.  

National Politics

By 1856 the United States had evolved into a new political era known as the Third Party System where the two major political parties were the Democrats and the Republicans. The Whigs had  essentially merged with the Republican Party and were on the right side of history during the Civil War when they saved the union and abolished slavery. The Democrats were essentially the Southern States in support of more traditional values and a free market society (These Political parties would eventually swap their ideals in the 1900s as the Democrats began to support new progressive ideals while the Republicans became in support of conservatism).

Following the Civil War and Reconstruction Era the government began to take a more subdued role to the booming industrialists of the era. The new issues of the time became business regulation, prohibitionists, labor unions, and homestead land expansion to the west. However many of the rising politicians of this time were paid for by big business contributions. Both Democrats and Republicans established political machines to canvass support and funds from big business donations. However this ultimately meant that the chosen candidate would be under the control of the business magnate. (This practice of buying out politicians thru campaign funding still exists today).

One of the most notorious and perhaps corrupt of the political machines was Boss William Tweedy (which I've written about here; New York City Draft Riots). His Tammany Hall in New York City became one of the most influential political machines of the Gilded Age, and a contributing factor to the rise of the Democratic Party. He was able to establish dominance in New York City thru a total spoils system of corrupt dealings with businessmen and government officials alike. He also took advantage of the immigration wave, most notably Irish workers, to build his political support.

Following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, it is fair to say that the next 8 presidents (both Republican and Democrat alike) were very ineffective leaders. History often refers to this string of presidents as the "forgettable presidents" (Beginning with Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B Hayes, James A Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and William McKinley).These presidents oversaw a prosperous time of peace and economic boom, however they were merely under the shadow of the titans of industry who were the ones building America as a world power.

It was not until the turn of the century that the government began to challenge the big business control. Grover Cleveland was one of the first notable presidents to fight corruption, patronage, and bosses such as William Tweedy. However the Panic of 1893 and the Pullman Strike of 1894 completely tarnished his new democratic ideals. William McKinley's Republican victory in 1896 is often considered the start of the Fourth Party System of politics. Following his assassination in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt seceded him as one of the greatest presidents since Lincoln. He brought on a wave of business regulation that historians consider the end of the Gilded Age and the start of the Progressive Era.


Art and Literature

This age of industrial innovation did not only benefit the big businesses yet also society as a whole. Standards of living were significantly improved during these days and the concept of leisure became more commonplace. People were able to enjoy new inventions such as the light bulb, the sewing machine, the camera, and so forth. World Fairs and expositions began demonstrating groundbreaking inventions as well as iconic architecture. It was a golden age of the arts, music, and literature.

The father of American literature, Mark Twain, prospered during this age with numerous publications that made him famous. His two most famous works were The Adventures of Tom Sawyer released in 1876 and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn released in 1885. Both these books became popular demonstrations of rural life in America at the time. Mark Twain amassed great wealth and fame during his lifetime from these books and lectures, however he was ultimately against the greed of big business. His lesser known novel in 1873, The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today demonstrated the country's new standard of greed and political corruption which eventually became the name of this era.

Painting was also experiencing a renaissance during this age, most notably out of Europe with the rise of Impressionism. While the United States, Germany, and England became centers of booming industry, France became the center of booming art and culture that brought on the Belle Epoque. Some of the greatest artists in history such as Claude Monet, JMW Turner, Renoir, and Van Gogh lived during this era. American artists did not so much take on after the impressionist movement however did partake in the realism style. Notable American painters of this time were Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and John Singer Sargent.

Photography and Motion Pictures also became more common place during the Gilded Age thanks to the accessible distribution of the Kodak camera. In 1878 English immigrant Eadweard Muybridge introduced a groundbreaking series of photos in motion, known as the Horse in Motion, which became one of the first recorded instance of motion pictures. Few years later Thomas Edison made notable improvements to the concept and introduced America's first studio, "Black Maria" in 1893. The Motion Picture industry would eventually begin to take flight in the early 1900s. 

Titans of Industry: Henry Ford

The final biography I will do regarding this series on Titans of Industry during America's Gilded Age is Henry Ford. His name is synonymous with the Model T that revolutionized the automobile market. His claim to fame is not that he invented the automobile but rather that he was able to mass produce them and make them affordable for the general public.

Throughout the early 1900s he quickly ascended to the top of the automobile market, just as Vanderbilt dominated the railroad market, Rockefeller dominated the oil market, Carnegie dominated the steel market, and JP Morgan dominated the banking market. He amassed a great amount of wealth throughout his lifetime and to this day his name has become an iconic American automobile brand.


Early Life of Henry Ford

He was born in Greenfield, Michigan in 1863 to a farming family. Both his parents were hard working and each of Henry's siblings helped run the farm. However at an early age Henry showed disinterest in the farming business and rather displayed a more technical skill. As a teenager he became a skilled watch repairmen which would inspire him to further mechanical endeavors. Henry was extremely saddened by the early death of his mother in 1876 and decided he wanted to leave the farming business.

In 1879 he left the farm to move to Detroit where he found work as a machinist at various manufacturing companies. He quickly acquired a keen interest in the Westinghouse Farm Engine, which was essentially a steam engine on wheels often pulled by horses, and the earliest version of a tractor. By 1882 Henry Ford was hired on by the Westinghouse Company as a repair mechanic for this machine. During this time he also studied business and bookkeeping at the Detroit Business Institute. 


Ford Motor Company

By 1888 Henry married Clara Jayne Bryant and together they had one child. In 1891 he was hired as an engineer for the Edison Illuminating Company of Detroit and a couple years later he was promoted to become the chief engineer. During this time Henry began experimenting with the gasoline powered automobile on his free time. In 1896 at the age of 32 he was able to manufacture a self-propelled vehicle, in which he named the Ford Quadricycle his first automobile design. His early invention was even admired by his boss and famous inventor Thomas Edison.

In 1899 Ford resigned from the Edison Illuminating Company and founded the Detroit Automobile Company. His goal was to produce affordable and efficient vehicles however the product was expensive and low quality causing Henry to dissolve the company two years later. In 1901 he designed a much improved 26 horsepower automobile. With this design Ford was able to challenge the famous racer Alexander Winton and beat him in a publicized event. With the attention and proceeds from the race, he was able to form the Henry Ford Company with various partners and investors.

However a year after it's establishment, one of Ford's business partners brought on another chief inventor, Henry Leland to contribute. This undermining of his vision frustrated Henry, who quickly decided to leave this company that later became renamed the iconic Cadillac Automobile Company. Ford was able to produce another groundbreaking speed automobile, the Ford 999, which had an 80 horsepower speed and yet again won publicized racing victories. In 1902 Henry Ford partnered with businessman, Alexander Malcomson to fund his 3rd automobile business, Ford & Malcomson Ltd. They later partnered with businessmen John and Horace Dodge for machine parts. With the inclusion of the Dodge Brothers the business was renamed the Ford Motor Company in 1903.


Model T Breakthrough

One of Ford's first major business successes was the production of his Ford 999 race automobile. Notable racers such as Barney Oldfield won many races around the country, such as the newly established Indianapolis 500. The success of the race car brought fame to the name of Ford as the fastest locomotive of the time. However Ford wanted to mass produce a standard and affordable automobile for the general public and this design finally took shape in 1908 with the introduction of his Model T design. It had the wheel on the left, with a four-cylinder engine and transmission fully enclosed. The design was cheap, easy to drive, and easy to repair and soon became the standard design for all automobile companies.

Ford's greatest claim to fame and success during this time was his application of mass production. He created an efficient industry unlike any before him, thru the introduction of the assembly line. This system of a moving belt significantly increased production, far beyond previous railroad, steam, or other manufacturing plants had ever achieved. Through this efficient design Henry was able to quickly mass produce the model and lower the price of his automobile thru various marketing and advertising campaigns. By 1918 half of the cars in America were Ford Model Ts and Henry Ford had established himself as a powerful business titan. 

He remained however fair to his employees, and while he was against labor unions at the time he could always relate with the working class. Ford surpassed all business magnates before him, by considering his workers as a key element to his production. He exemplified this philosophy by introducing the 5 dollar work wage in 1914 which was double that of most other production work. He also introduced the 5 day, 40 hour work week, which would boost productivity yet also give his workers more leisure time. 

Personal Interests and Antisemitism

During World War I and World War II Henry Ford was strongly opposed to intervening however did his part to support the US Army. He created an aviation company during the war, to supply aircraft for the military. His Ford Trimotor became the first successful US passenger airliner and was referred to as the "Tin Goose". However his aviation business did not quite take off as his automobile business did and was discontinued by 1933 during the Great Depression. Ford remained a fervent supporter of Woodrow Wilson and his League of Nations. He even ran for senator of Michigan in 1918 however loss to William Alden Smith. 

During the 1920s, Henry Ford began displaying strong right-wing extremism and religious prejudice against the Jews. He strongly believed in conspiracy theories that the Jews were on a mission to control the world as was stated in the publication of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Henry Ford played a large role in the distribution of this conspiracy pamphlet during the 1920s.

In 1919 he began to publish the Dearborn Independent a weekly newspaper that became a platform for antisemitic fervor. This newsletter, specifically the publication of The International Jew: The World's Foremost Problem, became influential in the early rise of Nazi Germany's racist ideology. However by 1927 Henry Ford was forced to dissolve the newsletter after various lawsuits from the Jewish Anti Defamation League. In a business effort to salvage his image, Ford publicly apologized for the content and stated that he was not fully aware of everything that was written.

Before the outbreak of World War II, Ford disapproved of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal policy and especially getting involved in the war. However he yet again played a crucial role in supplying automobiles and aircraft to the US military. In 1942 he established another aviation plant known as Willow Run, which became the largest assembly line in the nation and mass produced the B-24 bomber. During this time however Henry Ford's mental health began to fade perhaps due to the death of his only son Edsel. In 1945 he decided to retire and pass the company over to his grandson Henry Ford II (who managed the company until 1979). Henry Ford died in 1947 at the age of 83 and his automobile industry has continued to flourish to this day. He is the 12th wealthiest man in American history and a defining example of an American industrial business titan. 

Titans of Industry: JP Morgan

The next iconic figure in my study of American industrialists is John Pierpont Morgan. He is perhaps better considered a businessmen rather than an entrepreneur, who was able to capitalize on growing markets through massive buyouts and investments. He played a pivotal role in the gilded age of industry that transformed America into the leading economy in the world.

The two most prominent businesses he helped establish was General Electric and US Steel. Both of these companies became billion dollar corporations and leaders in their respected industries. While JP was able to finance numerous massive companies he is perhaps best regarded for his banking empire, which to this day is the largest bank in the United States.

Early Life of JP Morgan

Unlike the other entrepreneurs I have studied thus far, JP Morgan was born into wealth, and was able to expand upon it to become one of the wealthiest men in history. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1837 to the prominent Morgan banking family. As a child he was infected with Rheumatic fever, an illness that brought him long term skin infections. However JP Morgan overcame this skin abnormality to become one of the most influential business men in American history.

By 1857 JP Morgan entered the family business of banking in New York City, helping manage his partnership with George Peabody. He established numerous partnerships with banks in Philadelphia, London, Paris, and New York City. He was able to skip out on the Civil War by paying for substitute soldiers and was accused of wartime profiteering on various occasions.

He continued expanding his banking empire by consolidating other banks and buying out troubled businesses, a process that became known as "Morganizations". By 1871 the JP Morgan & Co bank was established as one of the most prominent banks in New York City and by 1900 it was one of the most powerful banks in the world.


Funding Thomas Edison & General Electric

By 1876 the American inventor Thomas Edison was making major breakthroughs in electricity such as the phonograph and the carbon microphone. However his most groundbreaking invention came in 1878 with the introduction of the light bulb. This would challenge the need for kerosene lights and completely change the market of lighting. JP Morgan quickly saw the profit in Edison's new invention and funded the Edison Electric Light Company. This company was in heavy opposition to Rockefeller's Standard Oil, who feared the light bulb would bring the demise of his business.

The 1880s brought on a decade of electrical innovation and from this came a new business market that caused the War of Currents. Edison was devoted to his direct current system of power delivery, proclaiming it as the safe and reliable means for electricity. However his apprentice, Nikola Tesla introduced a different and more powerful way to deliver electricity known as alternating current. Tesla was funded by the prominent businessman, George Westinghouse, and together they established the Westinghouse Electric Company, which began a leader in the electricity market.

Edison attempted an anti-AC campaign to demonstrate the dangers of this current, however it was to no avail and the demand for AC began to exceed the demand for DC. In order to ensure his investment did not falter to Westinghouse's rapid ascension, JP Morgan began partnering with AC companies. In 1892 JP Morgan merged the Edison Electric Company to become General Electric which controlled three quarters of America's electrical business, whose only competition was the Westinghouse Electric Company.


Carnegie buyout & US Steel

JP Morgan ensured his financial dominance in 1900 when he was able to negotiate a major buyout with Charles M. Schwab and Andrew Carnegie. At the time JP Morgan owned various steel, coal, and mining companies and wanted to merge them all into one single entity. Andrew Carnegie was considering an early retirement and agreed to sell his Carnegie Steel Company to JP Morgan for what became the largest business take-over in American economic history. By 1901 US Steel was the undisputed largest company in the country.

By the early 1900s US Steel controlled two-thirds of the steel industry producing not only the steel but managing numerous building projects. US Steel played a pivotal role in the boom of skyscrapers, bridges, railroads, and various other products. It's mass production was on par with the booming steel industries of Germany and Britain. However similar to Rockefeller's empire, US Steel quickly became considered an unfair monopoly, and received harsh criticism from the government, journalists, and businessmen alike.


Progressive Era 

At the turn of the century, JP Morgan was well aware of the growing social and political concerns of his time. He played a large role in the Efficiency Movement of the Progressive Era and believed that modernization thru science and technology was the answer to all of society's flaws. While he became a target of heightened government regulations he still supported his country thru various economic crisis, most notably the Panic of 1907 that saw the American economy on the brink of collapse. Morgan was able to unite with the major banks of New York City to re-invest in struggling companies and help revitalize the economy. In order to ensure this did not happen again JP Morgan worked with Senator Nelson Aldrich to create the Federal Reserve System in 1913.

From 1890 to 1913 JP Morgan organized and managed 42 major corporations in addition to his banking empire. He was a devout Christian and supported Conservative values in the midst of heightened attacks against his wealth. He was a notable benefactor to the arts, and throughout his lifetime had an impressive collection of which he spent 50 million to acquire. He died at the age of 75 and is recorded as the 23rd richest American history. 

Titans of Industry: Andrew Carnegie

Next up in this study of iconic American industrialists of the Gilded Age is the steel magnate, Andrew Carnegie. He was a Scottish immigrant who exemplified the pursue of the American dream in the land of the free-market. He displayed remarkable business ambition at an early age and was able to capitalize on the railroad and steel industries. He was the first business man who was able to efficiently mass produce steel which lead to the building of bridges and skyscrapers. He is recorded as the 3rd wealthiest American in history and was also a leading philanthropist, giving much of his wealth to charities and foundations.


Early Life of Andrew

Andrew Carnegie was born in a small cottage in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1835. His parents were working class weavers enduring hard times in their country. As a kid Andrew was inspired by his uncle and read about historical Scottish heroes such as William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. During the 1840s starvation became a serious issue in Scotland, and the Carnegie family decided to migrate to the United States in pursue of a better life. They arrived to the city of Allegheny, Pennsylvania in 1848.

Both Andrew and his father got jobs in the local cotton mills, where Andrew began to excel as a bobbin boy, changing spools of thread. He was eventually recruited for a higher paying position and in 1849 he landed a job as a telegraph messenger boy for a Pittsburgh Telegraphy Company. He displayed keen interest in the telegraph business and within a year he was promoted to becoming an operator. He continued to display a strong work ethic and sharp intelligence which he gathered from the many books he read. By 1853 his big break came when he was recruited by the railroad business magnate, Thomas A. Scott, who offered Andrew a position as secretary for his Pennsylvania Railroad Company.

Railroad Business

By 1859 Andrew continued to climb the ranks of Thomas Scott's business and soon had a post of his own as the superintendent of the western division of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Andrew continued to learn from his business mentor, Thomas Scott, while managing his own affairs. He brought on several members of his family to help him manage his post, and also began making investments in other businesses.

Carnegie continued to display great business ambition in the railroad business by helping improve the service as well as partnering with other companies to compete with Vanderbilt's Railroad empire. By the outbreak of the Civil War, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company became a critical tool of the union army. Thomas Scott became Secretary Assistant of War, and Carnegie managed the companies distribution of military supplies and telegraphic messages. The railways gave the Union Army a key logistical advantage that helped defeat the Confederate Army.


Keystone Bridge Company

During the outbreak of the war, Carnegie began to notice a rising demand for iron and saw it as a new booming market. Iron products were needed for military armor, gunboats, cannons, shells, and other various reasons. Carnegie decided to leave the railroad business and fully invest in the steel industry that was center in Pittsburgh. He eventually established his own steel rolling mill, and used his partnership with Thomas Scott's railroad business to get a fast edge above the competition.

In 1865 he established the Keystone Bridge Company which became one of the early leaders in producing steel bridges. The company's major breakthrough came when Thomas Scott commissioned a massive bridge be built across the Mississippi River, which lead to the construction of the Eads Bridge in 1874. This bridge became an architectural breakthrough, and became the new standard for major steel bridges. Carnegie was able to use this success to catapult his efficient steel production business.


Carnegie Steel Company

Andrew Carnegie did not marry until the age of 51, in 1886 after his mother passed away. His steel production continued to boom and in 1892 he founded the Carnegie Steel Company. He was quickly able to get an edge over the rest of the competition for his efficient business techniques. This included the use of the Bessemer converter which made it quicker to mass produce steel. Also was his system of vertical integration in which he supplied all the resources his company needed. This ultimately made for a more cost effective business flow. By 1889 the US economy was producing more steel than the UK, much of this was owned by Carnegie's steel empire.

While Carnegie made significant contributions to the American economy he is certainly not free of controversy. Two instances in specific somewhat tarnished his legacy on the handling of his workers. First there was the Johnstown Flood of 1889, in which a poorly constructed dam broke releasing tons of water onto the town of Johnstown, PA killing 2,209. Much of the blame for this catastrophe fell on Carnegie and his partner Henry Clay Frick for their newly developed cottage club near the dam.

The second instance was the Homestead Strike of 1892, which was a labor union confrontation that was poorly handled. Carnegie left the management of this crisis to one of his partners Henry Clay Frick. Frick was a notable for crushing labor unions, and did not want to compromise with the steel workers asking for wage increases. In response the workers barricaded themselves in front of the steel mills, halting their replacements in a tense standoff. Herny Frick brought in armed Pinkerton agents to squash the blockade. The final result was a massacre, killing 10 and injuring many more. To this day it is considered one of the most violent labor disputes in American history.


Establishment of US Steel

By 1901 Carnegie was ready for retirement at the age of 66, and sold his steel empire to JP Morgan which gave way to US Steel. This buy-out remains to this day one of the largest industry takeovers in American history. The company became the first ever billion dollar corporation, even surpassing Rockefeller's Standard Oil empire. During this time there was a boom of skyscrapers in cities such as Chicago and New York provided by US Steel. Carnegie still remained a board member, and was now able to enjoy a life of leisure while becoming one of the 2nd richest Americans in history (behind only Rockefeller).

Carnegie spent his final years as a notable philanthropist, donating large sums of money to charities and public institutions. He was a notable scholar, activist, and advocate for the arts in his retirements. He helped fund over 3000 libraries as well as numerous schools, universities, museums, and so forth. One of his most iconic buildings is his musical venue Carnegie Hall, built in 1891 as a homage to his appreciation of music. It remains to this day one of the most prestigious venues for classical or popular musical performances. Carnegie died in 1919 at the age of 83 and gave his remaining 30 million to charity. 

Titans of Industry: John D. Rockefeller

Next up is perhaps one of the most iconic of American capitalists, the oil tycoon, John D. Rockefeller. To this day he is listed as the wealthiest American in history. His name is synonymous with American business, and many of his family members have gone on to become significant businessmen or politicians in their own right. It's a name I have always been quite familiar with however do not know much about his story and how he was able to dominate the oil industry.

John D. Rockefeller built his fortune in the oil business as it boomed in the Gilded Age. The key to his success was that he controlled the refinement of the oil rather than the drilling process. In controlling the refinery he was able to control the market. His is another very interesting rags-to-riches story, as he was able to climb the industrial ranks to become one of the most powerful men in America at the turn of the century. His ambition was driven by what he considered a divine cause, and he is the utmost example of achieving the American dream through the free-market.

Early Life of John D. Rockefeller

He was born in 1839 in Richford, New York to a working class family. His father began as a lumberman, but eventually became a salesman and con artist referred to as "Devil Bill". He traveled frequently and was rarely at home during John's childhood. John thus had to do his part in helping provide for the family and took more after his religious mother. In 1853 his family moved to Strongsville, Ohio where John attended Cleveland Central High School and later studied business and bookkeeping at Folsom's Commercial College.

John acquired a sharp skill for business during his teenage years when he worked as an assistant bookkeeper for a produce firm called Hewitt & Tuttle. He was known as a very focused, serious, religious, and clever kid who set a goal early on that he wanted to amass a large fortune and live for a long time. In 1859 he partnered with Maurice Clark on a new bookkeeping firm for produce commissions of which he began to gain significant profit. By the outbreak of the Civil War, he was able to buy his way out of military service and instead offered food and supplies to the Union Army.

Oil Refinery Business

In 1863 John and his business partner Maurice shifted their focus to crude oil and built a oil refinery in "the flats" of Cleveland. The two partners were able to enlist a chemist, Samuel Andrews, who specialized in the distillation of oil into kerosene. Kerosene was the latest tool in providing light for the general public. Rockefeller later bought out this firm and established his own firm with Samuel Andrews as his partner in 1865. He also partnered with his brother, William Rockefeller, who also had an oil refinery of his own.

As the war was ending, John began making aggressive business moves to capture a stronghold on this new market. By 1867 the Rockefellers brought on another business partner, Henry Flagler, which became the beginning of Rockefeller's oil empire. It was during this time that John partnered with business magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt to transport his oil at a fair price. By 1870 Cleveland had become the center of the oil refinement business and Rockefeller disbanded his previous partnership to establish Standard Oil Trust.   

Standard Oil Empire and Monopoly

Rockefeller continued expanding his business thru his work ethic and competitive nature. He was able to ship his product at a fair price thru various railroad deals of bulk shipments. Thru his efficient management he was able to provide affordable kerosene for the entire nation, which before was only a luxury for the wealthy. By 1872, in what has become referred to as the "Cleveland Massacre" Rockefeller ruthlessly bought out his competition to control the refinery market and make Standard Oil the undisputed king of oil in the nation.

At this point Rockefeller began controlling every aspect of the oil market, from the drilling, to the refinement, to the disruption in what was perhaps one of America's first significant monopolies. He began gathering much opposition from the press, businesses, and even the government for what they saw as a man with too much power. Rockefeller however felt he was doing's Gods work, and believed that business was ultimately the survival of the fittest. By the end of 1870 Standard Oil was refining 90% of the nation's oil and Rockefeller was a millionaire.

His first significant opposition came in 1877 from Thomas A. Scott, a Pennsylvania Railroad president who was threatened by Rockefeller's latest pipeline initiatives. Scott felt that Rockefeller was essentially eliminating the need of oil to be transported via railway, and in response he began buying and building his own oil refineries. Rockefeller's competitive nature once again was in full effect as he began a price war against the Pennsylvania Railroad system which led to labor unrest.

While Rockefeller was ultimately able to win the standoff with Thomas A. Scott, it was only the beginning of a series of disputes targeting Rockefeller's monopoly on the market.  By 1880 Standard Oil was labeled by the press as the most grasping monopoly the country had ever experienced. At it's height Rockefeller's empire included 20,000 oil wells, 4000 miles of pipeline, 5,000 tank cars, and 100,000 employees. However during this time competition from European oilfields was emerging as well as the invention of the light bulb made kerosene less desirable.

Final Years in New York City

In 1884, Rockefeller moved his business headquarters to New York City and became a prominent figure in the city. He still continued to expand his business empire, despite all the opposition and changes in the oil market. In 1890 he began investing in the iron and ore industries which lead to new opposition with steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Their competition became major fodder for the New York news media. Rockefeller was able to become a member of US Steel's board of directors along side JP Morgan Chase and Andrew Carnegie. However the inquisition into his empire continued from President Roosevelt as well as  "muckracker" journalists such as Ida Tarbell, which forced him into early retirement at the age of 63.

In 1911 Rockefeller's Oil Empire took its largest hit when the Supreme Court of the United States found Standard Oil in opposition of the Sherman Antritrust Act, which ultimately ruled the organization as an illegal monopoly. In response Rockefeller had to break up his oil empire into 34 separate companies, which included notable businesses that still dominate today such as ExxonMobile, ConoccoPhilips, Chevron, and Pennzoil to name a few. Rockefeller spent his final years living in leisure, often suffering from anxiety and depression. While he climbed the mountaintop to become the wealthiest man in American history he was ultimately an unhappy person.

Titans of Industry: Cornelius Vanderbilt

As I've begun this study about iconic American entrepreneurs I notice there are about 5 that stand out above the rest. Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, JP Morgan Chase, and Henry Ford were all titans of their respected industries and became some of the wealthiest men in American history. Their climb from obscurity to dominance is the utmost demonstration of capitalism at work. I find their stories to be very intriguing especially since they played a crucial part in making America the strongest economies in the world.

Following the Civil War and Reconstruction Era, an industrial boom occurred in America, a period known as the Gilded Age (from the 1870s to early 1900s). It was a new age of industrial machinery that gave way for ambitious businessmen to capitalize on the free market and climb to the top. My first focus will be on Cornelius Vanderbilt, also known as the "Commodore", who was the first of these major industrialists. He created a railroad empire that made him one of the wealthiest Americans from the 1950s until his death in 1870s.


Early Life of Cornelius

Cornelius Vanderbilt was born in 1794 to a working class family in Staten Island, New York. His father owned a ferry in the New York harbor of which Cornelius worked on. He later begun his own ferry service at the age of 16, and quickly gained the nickname of the "Commodore" for his aggressive business demeanor. He married his business-minded cousin Sophia Johnson in 1813, and the two had 13 children together and were married until her death in 1868.

At the age of 19 Cornelius partnered with a steamboat line operated by Thomas Gibbons to captain one of his ships. He did this while still maintaining his ferry service. It was during this time that Cornelius developed somewhat of an apprenticeship with Thomas Gibbons and learned about the many complexities of the steamboat business. He continued to work for the Gibbons steamboat line after his death in 1826 while continuing to climb the ranks of the industry. 

Steamboat Engine Business

By 1829 Cornelius begun to break away from the Gibbons steamboat line and focus on his own businesses. He established multiple lines throughout the New York harbor and the surrounding region. By the 1830s he dominated the Long Island Sound and began expanding his control to managing railroad lines, the Staten Ferry line, and various real estate. By the 1840s Vanderbilt had established himself as one of the top businessmen in the New York region commonly referred to by his nickname "the Commodore".

During the Gold Rush of 1849 Vanderbilt shifted his business focus to ocean steamboats, with lines running from the East Coast to the West coast. At the time the Transcontinental railroad nor the Panama Canal was not yet built so the cargo was transported thru Panama by train. Through numerous disputes with New York, California, and Central American businessman Vanderbilt was able to exert his dominance on the steamboat business line from New York to California. During the Civil War he donated many of his ships to the Union Army however suffered terrible grief when his eldest son George Washington Vanderbilt II died during this time.

Railroad Empire

Following the Civil War and some years of grieving for his son, Vanderbilt shifted his focus to the growing railroad business. He served as a board member on several prominent railway companies throughout New York. In 1863 he took over the Harlem Railway and brought on his son, Billy, to help him manage several other railway companies such as the Staten Island Railway. By 1864 he had sold all his steamboat companies in order to fully focus on the railroad industry which he believed to be the new booming market.

Throughout the 1860s he continued to buy out the competition such as the Hudson River Railway, New York Central Railroad, and the Lake Shore Michigan Southern Railway. By 1867 he merged all these companies into one giant corporation known as the New York Central Railroad which operated lines from New York all throughout the Midwest region. This became one of the first major corporations in the United States that made Vanderbilt the most wealthy man in America.

In 1869 Vanderbilt commissioned the Grand Central Depot be built in New York City. This became one of the largest buildings in the city at the time and served as the central defining monument of Vanderbilt's empire. Even after Vanderbilt had reached the mountaintop he continued pressing forward. He became involved in numerous business disputes such as the Erie War, which lead him to become enemies with businessman Jay Gould and James Fisk Jr.

Vanderbilt played a crucial role in empowering John D. Rockefeller early in his career, when he offered the growing business magnate a partnership to transport his oil for a fair price. Vanderbilt knew that oil had become the new booming business market and in order to secure his empire he began investing with Rockefeller. However by this point Vanderbilt's health had begun to deteriorate and he would eventually die in 1877.

Before his death he contributed 1 million dollars to help establish a university in Nashville, TN that became known as Vanderbilt University. His railroad empire was later surpassed by the automobile industry in the 1900s, however he played a pivotal role in the ascension of the American economy. To this day he is listed as the 2nd wealthiest person in American history, after John D. Rockefeller.

Titans of Industry: Walt Disney

I'd like to start a new biographical series about famous American entrepreneurs that were titans of their industries. This idea came to me after recently watching a documentary on perhaps one of the most iconic American businessmen of all time, Walt Disney. While I'd like to categorize Walt as a movie icon, and that he certainly is, his legacy goes beyond just movies. He was ultimately a businessman who created an entertainment conglomerate based around his animations. His name has become synonymous with classic animated films and fairy tale destinations. The empire that he created throughout his career continues to thrive to this day. His franchise is considered an American staple in the likes of McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Nike, Apple, or Walmart.

It seems the name Disney is often more recognized for its movie production business rather than the person behind it all. Walt Disney was the perfect example of an American capitalist who rose to the top thru his innovative and ambitious character. By 1920s he moved to Hollywood to establish his iconic Walt Disney studios. He used groundbreaking animated techniques to lead Hollywood thru a Golden Age of animation thru the 1930s-1940s. He was not only an animator but also a voice actor most famously known for creating and providing the voice of Mickey Mouse.

By the 1950s he was a highly acclaimed producer and studio executive and began to expand his empire. He first opened his iconic amusement park, Disneyland in 1955 in Anaheim California. He later began television productions and live drama films such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Mary Poppins. He always demanded the best out of his staff, and while there have been accusations that he was antisemitic these claims cannot be justified. He died in 1966, at the age of 65, due to lung cancer, however his franchise continued to grow after his death. To this day Walt Disney Studios remains one of the iconic leaders in movie production and entertainment.

Walt's Early Life

One thing I like to understand in this study of famous American entrepreneurs is whether these moguls were born into wealth or paved their own path. In the case of Walt he was raised by a middle class family. His father Elias was a real estate businessman with limited success and moved the family from Chicago, Santa Fe, Kansas City, and back to Chicago. As a child, Walt displayed a great interest in cartoons and drawing. He stayed committed to his paper route for 6 years which demonstrated his hunger for business. His patriotism was demonstrated in WWI when he tried to join at the age of 16, and later was able to land a job as an ambulance driver at the end of the war.

Following the war he was able to land some work as an illustrator for a newspaper in Kansas City and also became an apprentice at an animation studio. During this time he acquired his interest in animation which was a new technology that merged video with illustrations. In 1921 Walt opened an animation studio with a friend called Laugh-O-Gram Studio and produced various short advertisements for theaters and businesses. In 1923 Walt produced a 12 minute feature film Alice's Wonderland however it was not enough to earn them profits and the company went bankrupt.

Move to Hollywood

In 1923 Walt moved to Los Angeles where his brother was living to further his business interests in animation. At the time New York City was the center of the cartoon industry however Hollywood was on the rise as the center of the movie industry. Walt was able to sign a contract for the production of more of Alice Comedies, which lead him to establish his Disney Studio with his brother Roy. In 1925 he hired an ink artist, Lillian Bounds, and married her later that year. They had two children together and remained married until Walt's death in 1966.

In 1927 film producer, Charles Mintz requested new material from Walt, which lead to the creation of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. However before this series could take off, Walt had financial disagreements with Charles Mintz which lead to the eventual collapse of this partnership. In response however Walt developed the character of Mickey Mouse, which was a similar peppy personality as Oswald. It was in 1928 that Disney released one of his first major iconic animations, Steamboat Willie, which introduced the character of Mickey Mouse as well as the first sound animation. (The film Jazz Singer was the first film to incorporate sound in 1927).

Throughout the 1930s Disney continued to produce Mickey Mouse films and introduced new groundbreaking musical animated films such as The Skeleton Dance (1929) and The Flowers and Trees (1932) which won Walt his first Academy Award for animation. Walt also won an Honorary Academy Award in 1932 for his creation of Mickey Mouse. A year later the Disney studio released The Three Little Pigs which won him another Academy Award and is considered one of the most significant animations of all time. By this point Walt Disney has established himself as the undisputed leader of animation in Hollywood.

Golden Age of Animation

However Walt was just beginning at this point and was always looking for ways to challenge himself as well as the industry. This is no doubt what made him so successful, his constant ambition to innovate. In 1934 he began a four year project on the feature animated film of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This became one of Disney's most ambitious costly projects, introducing color animation with multi-plane camera techniques introducing depth to his animation. While many in Hollywood dubbed it as Disney's folly the film actually became one of the most successful films ever produced at that time, collecting high revenues and more Academy awards.

Following the success of Snow White, by 1937 Walt Disney has introduced a Golden Age of Animation. His studio released two more ambitious animated projects Fantasia and Pinocchio in 1940, Dumbo in 1941, and Bambi in 1942. Each of these films went on to win numerous Academy Awards however performed poorly in the box office due to the onset of World War II. Due to the outbreak of war, Walt halted his animated projects and began propaganda and training productions to aid the United States military against Germany.

Other Projects and Disneyland

After the war Disney's business interests continued to expand beyond just animation. He produced several more successful feature animated films, Cinderella in 1950, Alice in Wonderland in 1951, and Peter Pan in 1953. However also began producing live action films such as Treasure Island in 1950, Robin Hood in 1952, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in 1954. He also began investing in the new medium of television and partnered with ABC in 1950. Together they aired The Wonderful World of Disneyland in 1954 which consisted of animated shorts catered for children.

One of Walt's most ambitious projects was the development of an amusement park that would embody the many fairy tales that he produced. In 1955 this vision became a reality with the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. This amusement park consisted of various theme areas such as Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland. There was also rides, venues, and numerous attractions that brought thousands of visitors on a daily basis. To this day Disneyland has become a fantasy destination for children and families alike.

Disney continued a string of successful animated films with the release of Lady and the Tramp in 1955, Sleeping Beauty in 1959, One Hundred and One Dalmatians in 1961, and the Sword in the Stone in 1963. He also oversaw the musical production of Mary Poppins in 1964, a film that went on to garnish 13 Academy Award nominations. By 1966 however Walt grew very sick from cancer and died at the young age of 65. However his legacy carried on to become one of the most iconic film franchises in not only America but the world. To this day he holds the record for most Academy Awards at 22 Oscars. His name has become synonymous with entertainment, fantasy, and one of the most iconic American brands.