they made fortunes by consolidating several companies
railroad barons were created because the industry consolidated. Consolidation made the large companies more efficient..
Jesse James.
Congress, railroad barons, banks, and investors.
Consolidation and railroad barons are both related to the expansion and control of the railroad industry in the United States during the 19th century. Consolidation refers to the merging of smaller railroad companies into larger, more powerful entities, which was a common practice among railroad barons to increase their control over the industry. Railroad barons were powerful individuals who amassed great wealth and influence through their control of large railroad networks, often through aggressive tactics such as predatory pricing and monopolistic practices.
stock watering and bribery of public officials
Yes, because they were already making business deals and talking about rates when trying to consolidate with smaller companies.
andrew carnegie
There were many corrupt businessmen during this time, especially in the railroad business. and the pacific union.
Some kings respected barons, and some did not. In some cases, the barons forced their kings to make concessions to them, as in the case of the barons forcing King John to sign the Magna Carta.
As the railroad network expanded, the railroad companies competed fiercely with one another to keep old customers and to win new ones. Large railroads offered secret discounts called rebates to their biggest customers. Smaller railroads that could not match these rebates were often forced out of business. The railroad barons also made secret agreements among themselves, known as pools. They divided the railway business among their companies and set rates for a region, a railroad could charge higher rates and earn greater profits.
Railroads were the chief cause for the unprecedented growth of the Gilded Age. Railroad Barons by building of the Transcontinental Railroad made travel accessible to more people. A trip that would have taken six months now only took six days. It also made the shipping of goods across the company economically feasible and increased sales for businesses that relied on the transportation industry in some way.
They were the richest men of their time and they controlled the oil, railroad, and banking of the nation. They lived like kings and paid their workers as little as they could. Carnegie came from Scotland with nothing, but through ruthless means he worked to become the richest. Rockefeller and Morgan were also ruthless in their dealings. This made them Robber barons stealing from the poor to make themselves richer. We have robber barons too with the 1% richest today.