To request your own complimentary copy of The Myth of the Robber Barons, complete a brief order form found here.
First published by YAF in 1987, this book tells the stories of heroic entrepreneurs who built America and changed the world: Cornelius Vanderbilt, the namesake of Vanderbilt University who transformed the steamship industry; John D. Rockefeller, the son of struggling parents who founded Standard Oil and provided an affordable source of energy for many millions of people; Andrew Mellon, an oil and aluminum entrepreneur who persuaded Congress to cut taxes and allow Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money; and others. As Steve Moore, a key economic advisor to President Donald J. Trump wrote about The Myth of the Robber Barons: My enduring takeaway for the book is this: it takes near super-human vision, endurance, bravado, and guts to pioneer a whole new industry. These are capitalists in the finest sense of the word—and they are byproducts of a free enterprise system that lets all develop their talents. It is a parochial pride I take that so many of the people who guided the world into the wealth-enhancing industrial and electronic revolution were Americans, and undoubtedly that is because of a culture of self-reliance, of rewarding exceptionalism, and allowing, as the old saying goes, for the business of America to be business. The Myth of the Robber Barons has already reached the hands of tens of thousands of students across America. With this eighth edition, YAF looks forward to inspiring many more with the ideas of entrepreneurship and free enterprise. Young America’s Foundation is grateful to Rick and Jane Schwartz, member of YAF’s Reagan Ranch Board of Governors, for their generosity in supporting this important project.
