Large businesses held immense control of the US economy and politics in the time period

of 1870-1900, holding monopolies, and oligopolies on vast amounts of industry, from textiles, to
industrial goods, such as steel and oil, and the transport industry, most notably that of railways. The
“political machines”, which controlled vast amounts of the US government through extortion and
corruption, were an example of a powerful business that held great control over politics, and society as a
whole.

Document 3 portrays the amount of control the “Big Business” held over the politicians of the
senate. The cartoon describes the “people’s entrance” to the senate, symbolically representing the
people’s influence over the senate as being omitted, while the “Entrance for Monopolists” is wide open
with many monopolists flowing through, standing imposingly over the senators. This shows the people’s
belief at the time, as many thought they no longer had any say in politics.

Document 2 is an excerpt from a paper written by David A. Wells, describing his take on the
troublesome situation, he states in the excerpt, “The modern manufacturing system has been brought into
a condition analogous to that of a military organization, in which the individual no longer works as
independently as formerly, but as a private in the ranks, obeying orders, […] and having nothing to say as
to the plan of his work […]”. This belief that class mobility and freedom of labor was, held by many
reformists who wished for the regulation of monopolies and a more restricted market. Such beliefs
proved the extent of which that the monopolies and oligarchies held power over the workers, and in turn
the economy.

Document 1, most pointedly shows an example of the power one monopolist may hold over
society as a whole, and is quoted from George E. McNeil, a labor leader at the time. McNeil states, "[The
Monopolist] can control legislative bodies, dictate legislation, subsidize the press, and corrupt the moral
sense of the community. He can fix the price of freights and thus command the food and fuel-supplies of
the nation.” The sheer power that the “captains of industry” held is portrayed in this document strikingly,
and the ideas held by labor leaders is clearly stated and catalogued.

This event is held in similar light to the beliefs of small farmers in the colonial era, as the beliefs
of Bacon’s rebellion held surprisingly parallel to the beliefs of the labor movement of the gilded age,
citing wealth inequality and class conflict as the source for many of societies problems.

Even so, the control of monopolists over society in the late 19th century is surprisingly
comparable to the control the lobbyist system in modern times. Very wealthy companies and
organizations (such as The College Board) can legally and silently pay members of congress to vote for
laws that will benefit the companies greatly. This is most commonly seen in practice of large banks,
instead of the industrial companies of the 19th century.

To summarize, the captains of industry in the late 19th century held unimaginable power over the
US economy and political system at its peak, and reigned strongly over the US congress. Although some
people may see that the reason so little restriction of market was passed at the time was to preserve the
free market in the interest of the people, the majority of the people at the time advocated for the restriction
of monopolies and oligopolies.