000 02559cam a22003373u 4500
001 6495
003 UtSlPG
005 20260610133153.0
006 m
007 cr n
008 260607r2004||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d
040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aHC
100 1 _aMyers, Gustavus,
_d1872-1942
245 1 0 _aGreat Fortunes from Railroads
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2004
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
500 _aRelease date is 2004-09-01
508 _aProduced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
520 _a"Great Fortunes from Railroads" by Gustavus Myers is a historical account written during the late 19th century. The book delves into the monumental fortunes amassed through the manipulation and control of railroad systems, examining the intertwining of wealth, government, and legal systems that facilitated this economic power. It particularly highlights the Vanderbilt and Gould fortunes, detailing how their wealth was acquired through a combination of industrial development, legislative corruption, and social inequalities. At the start of the work, Myers sets the stage by discussing the broader context of the American economy during the development of the rail industry. He contrasts the slow and individualistic growth of factory owners with the rapid accumulation of wealth by railroad magnates, illustrating the corrupt practices employed to seize public lands and secure legal advantages over the poorer classes. Myers argues that the laws established were often manipulated for the benefit of a select few, allowing them to monopolize resources while effectively disenfranchising the working population. This initial portion serves not only as an introduction to the rich historical narrative of railroad fortunes but also poses a critique of societal structures that enable capitalism to exploit labor and resources at the expense of common citizens. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _nOriginal publication data not identified
653 _aWealth -- United States -- History -- 19th century
653 _aUnited States -- Economic conditions -- 19th century
653 _aBusinessmen -- United States -- History -- 19th century
653 _aRailroads -- United States -- History -- 19th century
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6495
999 _c48517
_d48517