John D. Rockefeller is the first billionaire in United States history. He used ingenuity, the free market and hard work to become wealthy. He then became a generous philanthropist, developed the middle class and ensured his family lived a modest lifestyle. Rockefeller even saved the whales.
Despite these accomplishments, opponents of capitalism and any schoolteacher in the U.S. describes Rockefeller as a “robber baron.” But he wasn’t a robber or a baron. (SEE: What is a robber baron?)
Prager University is out with a new video that looks to accurately profile Rockefeller. It’s a short but interesting video with insights from Burt Folsom, author of “The Myth of the Robber Barons.” You should also check out the P.I.G. series of American History and Capitalism.
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