Big Business

(Period: Growth and Transformation)

Synopsis:

For a brief synopsis of the history of this time and period: Click Here.

Historical synopsis courtesy of A Hypertext on American History from the colonial period until Modern Times by Department of Humanities Computing, University of Groningen, The Netherlands and the former United States Information Agency (1953-1999).

Key Facts:

• In the years following the end of the 19th century, the country's population skyrocketed, with many more people living in cities than ever before.

Key People:

• John D. Rockefeller - founder of Standard Oil Company, one of the richest men in history, by far the richest man of his time.
• Cornelius Vanderbilt - businessman who played a critical role in consolidating the national rail systems.

Vocabulary:

• amalgamation - uniting multiple entities into one