Premium Essay

American Fur

In:

Submitted By khoang8516
Words 2243
Pages 9
American Fur Company
John Jacob Astor, founder of the American Fur Company, was the creator of the first trust or monopoly, and he was the first multi-millionaire in the United States. His fortune came primarily from the fur trade. Born on July 17, 1763 in Waldorf, Germany, his cleverness, guile, and business suave shaped the early American frontier. Arriving in New York in 1783, he soon began to buy furs from trappers and Indians, establishing a fur goods shop in New York. In 1794, the Jay Treaty between Great Britain and the United States opened new markets in Canada and the Great Lakes region. Astor affected three major sections of the nation: Business, Society, and Government. With regard to businesses, he mastered the fur trade industry to near perfection with his use of predatory pricing, market manipulation, and trade routes to increase his supply and expansion into new markets. Within society, Americans from the past to present can credit John Jacob Astor and the American Fur Company to many benefits and consequences felt within society. Those who understand the full impact of American Fur Company will agree that Astor’s greed and blatant exploitation of people and resources came at such a high cost to some parts of society that it may have outweighed any good. Lastly, government, which was supposed to protect society, began to realize that they would have to intervene with the private sector in order to ensure human rights. It was through Astor’s actions that the need for a stronger federal government and increased regulation upon its businesses was realized and deemed an absolute necessity to protect the people of society, and to limit the scope of business.
Argument for Business:
Astor was an intelligent, talented, and ambitious businessman. Even more so, he was recognized for his guile and cunningness to get the upper hand on his rivals

Similar Documents

Free Essay

The American Fur Company

...working at a bakery, saving what he could to work the fur circuits. It was through his motivation for wealth that he started his fur empire, but his managerial skills that let him maintain it. Many times Astor was thrown a curve ball and when it came at him he managed to hit a homerun. This is seen when Astor had to sell Astoria, his fur empire on the pacific coast, for a fraction of its worth to the British. It was through Astor’s managerial ability that he got congress to forbid foreign fur trading in the US. After doing this he bought out their interests and his monopoly was born. As for Astor’s ethics, they were towards money and not towards fair treatment. The US congress passed a law that the Indian’s were not to bet taken advantage of, Astor did not adhere to these rules but instead traded low price trinkets for high value furs making a 4,900 percent profit to which 99.9 percent of it went to himself. Another example of Astor’s lack of ethics is when he let the Indians use credit so that they would be in debt to him and they would not be able buy from any other sellers. Astor’s career shows that there is no relation between virtue and success, his lesson would have to be (don’t let virtue get in the way of success). This is the way he lived his life as a businessman, on many occasions he bribed federal officials in charge of enforcing fur trade laws. 2). In the 1830’s the consensus seems to be against the fur trade industry, I believe that Astor may have pushed to...

Words: 757 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

The American Fur Co.

...The American Fur Company 1.) Astor’s motive was second to none, he came to America with virtually nothing, yet it did not stop him from becoming the richest man in America at one point. He was highly self-motivated, mainly by profits and power. His managerial ability was also great as he was able to expand his trade operations and profit off of every piece of the industry. This however, was very unethical. TO explain, he gained profits through charging his employees high costs on clothing and sugar, profits of 300-400 percent, and even diluted the whiskey he sold them with water (51). He also used alcohol in negotiations with the Indians after Congress had banned alcohol on Indian territories. If this story teaches anything about the relationship between virtue and success, it’s that they do not always go hand in hand. Astor had little to no virtues, yet was able to become highly successful in the world of business. 2.) The environment of the company changed in the 1830’s with the belief that Cholera was spread through the trade. This had a negative effect on the trade. Also, new silk hats that didn’t require fur in their production were also driving down the demand of furs. During this time Congress also passed a law that banned alcohol on the Indian territories, which many people in the industry used to barter with the natives. Historical forces that are implicated in these changes include inequality, globalization, chance and nation state. 3.) Impacts on society...

Words: 837 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

The American Fur Company

...Case Study: The American Fur Company 1. In terms of motives, managerial ability, and ethics, Astor can be viewed as a man with practically no resolve. His thought processes were extremely egotistical and had no morals. He was self roused by benefits to end up the biggest and just American Fur organization, owning 99.9% of the stock and making a special effort to squash rivals, hoarding the business. His administrative capacities were awesome, permitting him to grow and get hides basically for about nothing, making benefits on all parts of the work including transportation and wages. Morals this man did not have, making an organization on what seemed like morals promising to manage Indians genuinely and issue stocks to other, neither of which happened. Temperance and achievement have no relationship for Astor's situation. Astor had high achievement however poor or extremely humbler temperance. Indeed, even to the end of his life he contributed little to society. For Astor achievement was a temperance and disappointment was impossible. 2. In 1832, individuals trusted that the exchange of this product was what was bringing about the spread of cholera. This made individuals quit needing to exchange the product. At that point in 1837, the steamboat, conveyed smallpox up the Mississippi, murdering more than 17,000 individuals. Additionally, in the mid 1800s the pattern changed from hide to silk . The authentic strengths that embroiled these progressions were globalization...

Words: 543 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

The American Fur Company

...The American Fur Company was one of the most prosperous company establish in America. The company was started by John Jacob Astor an immigrant from Germany. His ambitions were immense and sometime overshadow his judgment, which lead to many questionable ethical decisions. Astor’s company was based on supplying fur product to consumer mainly in Europe where the fashion trend was all about fur. The company main source of resources were from Native American whom were expect at hunting and harvesting the fur from different animal specially beaver. Astor exploits the cultural differences of the native by trading simple western trinket for fur as well as alcohol. Alcohol however was prohibit which gave him advantage over the government fur trading business which he let trade freely during transaction which also lead to inebriated native as well as making some addicted to the product. All of this was to give him leverage and advantage in the trade, which create an ethical dilemma of breaking the law as well as taking advantage of cultural differences. Then native wasn’t the only one exploited, even his trader and trapper fared no better. He would mark up trade goods heavily before selling them to traders, which lead to many being in debt and mortgaging their trading post to him. Trapper worked unlimited hours and in harsh condition with little pay. He basically created a system that amplified his fortune by diminishing those whom are caught in its working. Fur was the big commodity...

Words: 537 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

American Fur Company

...the exact same protections as people. Corporations have much greater protections through monetary means than individuals--just like governments. It is for this very reason that the constitution gave individuals these protections. Once corporations are able to feel like individuals, be exploited like individuals, and are able to suffer and feel joy like actual humans, then they can have the same rights. the people who own, run or work for corporations already have their (personal) Constitutional rights, precisely because they are people. Giving extra rights to corporations would be grossly unfair, as it would give the people who own, run, and work for corporations access to more rights than the rest of us have. For example, most adult American people have a constitutional right to vote. If corporations are given the right to vote, then some of the people who own, run, or work for corporations (i.e., the ones who would cast a...

Words: 314 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Samantha

...Fourteen years ago my life flashed before my eyes. Little did I know that my best friend would soon try to end my short life. Running down a never ending hall way, ankles bleeding, tears rolling down my cheeks, I was too young to die. Why was this happening to me? Samantha was my sister only hours before, and now she wanted to murder me in cold blood. Samantha was my cat, and I was three years old. In the early years, Samantha was a regular cat living the typical suburban cat lifestyle. She slept all day and enjoyed being rubbed on on her belly as she purred so softly. With her golden fur coat, she stood out from all the other neighborhood cats. Every once in a while, a dead bird would find its way to our door step. In a weird way, I always thought the dead animals she would bring us was her way of saying thanks for the love and care we gave her. I was too young at that time to understand that these tiny gifts that she brought to me were foreshadowing what would come later. In my little eyes, Samantha was the best cat and friend that any child could dream of having; but then things started to change. As the days passed and changed, so did Samantha’s characteristics that I loved so dearly. Her personality began to fade away from what I had known it to be. Instead of playing with the other cats in the neighborhood, Samantha began to display aggressive behavior and engage in cat fights. One morning she came home limping with cuts covering...

Words: 741 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Coming of Age

...Jacqueline Albert Professor Shannon Buck LIT 100 18 January 2015 Coming of Age The two stories that I will be discussing are “Araby,” by James Joyce and “Boys and Girls,” by Alice Munro. Both stories illustrate for us in both positive and negative elements the idea of growing up, and coming of age. Both of these authors used a great amount of literary elements to give us the concept of coming of age. Araby is about an unnamed young boy that does not seem to pay any particular attention to what is going around him, that or he just doesn’t pay any mind. The author does an amazing job setting the scene for us, as mundane as I found it to be. The boy would dart and sneak around, purposefully avoiding anyone including his friend Mangan’s sister. This gave me the image that he was younger then I initially thought. The narrator states “She was waiting for us, her figure defined by the light from the half-opened door. “ (Joyce 155) This is when he actually noticed her, more so then her just being “there.” He then further elaborates with “Her dress swung as she moved her body and the soft rope of her hair tossed from side to side.” (Joyce 155) As he describes her beauty you can feel that now he is not just a boy. Mangan’s sister asked the young boy if he planned on going to the Araby. An Araby is a bazaar that is put on by the church in order to raise money for charity. Since she is not able to attend due to being out of town, he agrees to go and bring her a souvenir...

Words: 806 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Analysis Mrs. Bixby

...“Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat” I am going to analyse the story entitled “Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s coat”. It was written by the British writer whose name is Roald Dahl. Roald Dahl born in Wales, to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force[->0] during World War II[->1], in which he became a flying ace[->2] and intelligence officer, rising to the rank of wing commander[->3]. Dahl rose to prominence in the 1940s, with works for both children and adults, and became one of the world's best-selling authors. He has been referred to as "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century". In 2008 The Times[->4] placed Dahl 16th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers[->5] since 1945". His short stories are known for their unexpected endings, and his children's books for their unsentimental, often very dark humour[->6]. The title of the story is rather clear, we could understand that it will be story about Mrs. Bixby and the colonel’s coat. But we don’t know exactly how they are related. And we can’t predict what will happen. In general, the work is written in the neutral style with an accent on descriptions. The functional style of the story can be description as matter-of-fact. The genre, the author wrote in, is an ironical short story. The story combines the elements of both: narration and dialogue. The author makes ample use of dialogue in this story. The author doesn’t participate in this story, but he knows all the events. ...

Words: 1314 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Fur Trade

...Take off that darn fur coat! “Fur fashion conjures a strange rapport between humans and beasts; humans pose frequently in fur while their furry cousins often pose for extinction.”-Martin Dansky. Born Free USA is an animal rights organization that campaigns for animal rights, including stopping the use of fur as fashion. In a particular article, “The Cruelty of Fur Trim”, the organization talks about the evils of the fur trade business and why even purchasing just the trim is supporting the business. This piece was published December 12, 2002 on the Born Free USA website. The author of this piece is targeting those who are participating in fur fashion and those who protest it. In writing this article the author is hoping to convey to the audience the cruelty and acts of inhumanity that are part of the fur industry. This article is emotionally powerful and is backed by evidence; however, it does fall into many fallacy traps. The author of “The Cruelty of Fur Trim” relies heavily on pathos appeals. The author describes how theses animals will often try and chew themselves out of a trap or go literally insane before they are killed. Instead of logically reaching out to the reader, the author is trying to appeal their sympathies. Hitting the pathos appeal can be very effective in persuading especially in the more emotional audience. On the other hand, this strategy can backfire when the audiences happens to be a more factual person. The author also uses terms like “body-gripping”...

Words: 968 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

What Are Native Americans Wear Their Clothing

...Men – Clothing usually consisted of a shirt, trimmed leggings with a belt and a long breechcloth and moccasins. Robes made from the furred hide of a bison were often worn in winter. Their hair was often worn into a pompadour which is often colored white with paint. They also wore their hair in two braids wrapped in the fur from beaver or otters. They also made their hair longer by weaving horsehair into it. Women – wore dresses made of deer and buffalo skins decorated with elk teeth or shells. They covered their legs with leggings during winter and their feet with moccasins. They also wore their hair in two braids. Chiefs- wore the long Indian war bonnets that plan Indians are famous for. They were hunters and protectors. the men...

Words: 352 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Canada Goose

...Executive Summary Dani Reiss is at a point in Canada Goose where the time for growth is now. Over the report we will be discussing what is the best way for Canada Goose to best combat their strengths and weaknesses to sell their product at full potential. Reiss must choose from Levine’s Menswear and Asmuns place. At these two locations Canada Goose will be able to better target men’s and women’s fashion segment. They will also get a more dominant position in upper scale mall, which is where we will find people who will be willing to pay our high price in order to get a quality coat. If our coat is seen in upper scale stores, this will also help to improve our brand image, to build a foundation in peoples minds as Canada Goose as a luxury coat. With added sales we should be able to improve our product line to offer an even wider range of coats and accessories. Our major issue with dealing with these types of retailers is there is no guarantee of our coat not being used as a loss-leader, which will highly decrease brand prestige. We will also face the possibility of losing a few key independent retailers when they fail to keep up with the upper scale larger stores such as Levine’s Menswear and Asmuns place. Ultimately, our company faces little risk, as higher-income people will always be willing to spend, to them, a small chunk of money on a coat that is of highest quality and extremely fashionable. Problem Statement How can Dani Reiss, the president and owner of Canada...

Words: 2349 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

H&M Policy Product

...way that is environmentally and socially sustainable Animal hair • For materials made of animal hair H&M only accepts hair from living and domesticated animals, including angora rabbit, cow, buffalo, yak, horse, goat, pig and alpaca. No vulnerable or endangered species must be used. • For angora hair H&M only accepts products made of angora rabbit hair from farms with good animal husbandry. Down and feathers • H&M does not accept down from live plucked birds. • H&M only accepts down, feathers and decoration feathers taken from slaughtered birds bred for meat production. • No vulnerable or endangered species must be used. • All down and feathers must be sterilised according to EU standard EN 12935. Fur • H&M does not sell products made of real fur. Leather • H&M only accepts products made of leather from cows, buffalo, sheep, goats, fish or pigs that have been bred for meat production. No vulnerable or endangered species must be used. • H&M does not sell real exotic animal skins, including but not limited to; snake, alligator, crocodile, lizard and ostrich. • H&M does not allow cow leather originating from India due to poor transport conditions. • Waste water from the tanneries used for H&M’s products must be treated at a waste water treatment plant. Palm oil • H&M buys GreenPalm certificates for the total volume of palm oil used in H&M products each year in order to contribute to the development of more sustainable palm oil production. ...

Words: 457 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

A Case of Murder

...fair-sized rat!  But what they did was leave him with a cat.  He hated that cat; he watched it sit,  A buzzing machine of soft black stuff,  He sat and watched and he hated it,  Snug in its fur, hot blood in a muff,  And its mad gold stare and the way it sat  Crooning dark warmth: he loathed all that.  So he took Daddy's stick and he hit the cat.  Then quick as a sudden crack in glass  It hissed, black flash, to a hiding place  In the dust and dark beneath the couch,  And he followed the grin on his new-made face,  A wide-eyed, frightened snarl of a grin,  And he took the stick and he thrust it in,  Hard and quick in the furry dark.  The black fur squealed and he felt his skin  Prickle with sparks of dry delight.  Then the cat again came into sight,  Shot for the door that wasn't quite shut,  But the boy, quick too, slammed fast the door:  The cat, half-through, was cracked like a nut  And the soft black thud was dumped on the floor.  Then the boy was suddenly terrified  And he bit his knuckles and cried and cried;  But he had to do something with the dead thing there.  His eyes squeezed beads of salty prayer  But the wound of fear gaped wide and raw;  He dared not touch the thing with his hands  So he fetched a spade and shovelled it  And dumped the load of heavy fur  In the spidery cupboard under the stair  Where it's been for years, and though it died  It's grown in that cupboard and its hot low purr  Grows slowly louder year by...

Words: 395 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Task for English

... 3. She isn’t taking a jumper. 4. She is going to wear a dress on the journey. 5. Her hat is big. 6. She is going to take some skirts. 7. Listen to the conversation again. Fill in the missing words in the text below. Going abroad? Your mother still does your packing for you? Maybe she should! Listen to a conversation between two friends and weep. Julia: So where are you off to? Helen: Egypt. Julia: How long for? Helen: Oh, it’s just a _______ 3 days. Julia: And you’re taking that _______ suitcase? Helen: Yes. I think I’ve got everything. Julia: What on earth have you got in there? Do you mind if I have a look? Helen: Sure. Julia: It’s quite _______! Helen: It’s the bare essentials. Julia: Why do you need a fur coat with you? Helen: I’ve never been to Egypt before. It might be _______. Julia: And the seven pairs of knickers? Helen: You can _______ have too much underwear! Julia: But you’re there for three days! And what are these? Shoes or flippers? Helen: Both, of course! You have to look _______underwater too. I can’t be without heels. I can swim and then walk straight onto the beach and go for a stroll or _______. Julia: But why the jumper?! Egypt is very hot. Helen: Yes, but I always like to be ready. Climate change is a _______ issue. Besides, my grandmother knitted this jumper for me when I was little and I _______take it with me wherever I...

Words: 418 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

The Boy in Stripped Pajamas

...Animal fur trading Since Stone Age, people would peel the skin from their prey as a symbol of conquest, they showed off their power, their strength by putting the fur on their back, they also believed this would bless them, bless them away from death, and make them survive from the war between tribes. As we stepped into 21th century the definition of “war” in our mind is more and more blurry, the scene of war still stays at the Hollywood war movies on the cinema screens. People do not want fight, and they live in harmony. People get wealth the same time when they get a long time of peaceful life. Is it true that they do not want war? Yes it is, the amount of death caused by war in 20 century is 10 times more than that nowadays. But what if I ask you, is the greedy in our mind is truly disappear? Are we truly don’t want to deprivation from others? No, we don’t have the courage the courage to say ”yes”-----every year, 50 millions of animal are killed for fur, this almost equals the population of South Korea, people are still want to occupy things, this is normal, but if we think about this , your dog would pee on the roots of the tree to show this belongs to it, people ask me how dare I compare people with dogs, well, I have to admit that this is a little bit rude and offended, but the pee of dog can bring nutrition to the tree, what can we bring? Does the blood that seep into the earth would do the same thing too? What can it show except advertise the greedy of human beings...

Words: 633 - Pages: 3