J.P. Morgan and Ragtime Essay -- essays research papers

butt Pierpont MorganThe turn of the century in American, when E.L. Doctorows fiction Ragtime is set, was a time marked by rapid technical developments and industrialization. These years also brought a heavy flood of immigrants as well as an increasingly urban American landscape. Technological advancements enabled increased dexterity and mass production. However, Doctorow clearly brings into question the consequences of this new technology for the average American worker. J.P. Morgans discussion with Henry Ford about the assembly lines innovations brings this debate to the front. Doctorow writes, "From these principles Ford established the final proposition of the theory of industrial art objectufacture - not only that the parts of the finished product be interchangeable, but that the men who build the products be themselves interchangeable parts" (113). present Doctorow clearly addresses the potential for technology to undermine the value of the individual and his abil ities.Banker and industrialist privy Pierpont Morgan was one of the worlds foremost monetary figures in the decades before World state of war I. He organized railroads and formed the fall in States Steel Corporation. His wealth and financial management skills were so considerable that he was able to steer the United States Treasury from the brink of disaster.Morgan was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1837, and educated at the University of Gottingen in Germany. In 1871, with members of the Drexel family of Philadelphia, he organized the New York banking firm of Drexel, Morgan & angstrom Company. It began lending vast sums to railroad builders and industrial corporations in the 1880s and was later on reorganized as J.P. Morgan and Company.As noted by Erin Arvedlund, he was a natural born financier and loved spreading his bank figure among dozens of different foreign currencies. butt Pierpont Morgan and his father established a firm that was later to be known as J.P. Morgan & angstrom Co. end-to-end Ragtime, E.L. Doctorow constantly refers to the economic status of the families and immigrants. J.P. Morgans companies and firms were large employers of these immigrants. His achievements in finance and wrinkle greatly affected the families in this novel. Money was something that could break a family apart if it was nonexistent. In 1857, John Pierpont Morgans father, Junius Morgan, decided to broaden... ...d sorcerer that man possessed (Lindstrom). John Pierpont Morgan is considered one of the founding fathers of the modern United States economy.patronage conflicting opinion on his persona, his influence and character shaped the business world more so than any other person at the turn of the century. Morgan was a banker, railroad czar, industrialist, financier, philanthropist, yachtsman, and ladies man (Jones). He was an industrial genius that is accredited with the founding of many companies including General Electric and AT&T. However, Morgan is loo ked upon as a saint and demon the same (Arvedlund). He received a honorary degree from Harvard university that read Public citizen, patron of literary productions and art, prince among merchants, who by his skill, wisdom and courage, has twice in times of stress repelled a national danger of financial panic.Arvedlund, Erin. Unmasking J.P. Morgan. 2000. 9 Apr. 2003Doctorow, E.L. Ragtime. New York Plume, 2003.John Pierpont Morgan. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2001 Standard. 2003.Jones, Lisa L. A Collectors Portait John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913). 2003. 9 Apr. 2003 Lindstrom, Diane. John Pierpont Morgan. 2003. 9 Apr. 2003.