Charles S. Maier’s writing about drawing a moral bottom line when rendering a historical verdict is very intriguing. It would require to historians to write about past events and people in a way in which morals and ethics play a large part in their writing styles. This would be a significant change for some, one they may not be comfortable with. Many historians feel they can deliver a verdict within their writing without having to incorporate a moral bottom line. However, there are others who believe that drawing a moral bottom line is an important aspect to their writing. Both H.W. Brands and T.J. Jackson Lears draw historical verdicts in their respected works however, they both have their own way of dealing with morality within their writing. The main purpose of H.W. Brands’ book American Colossus, was to show the rise of capitalism in America…show more content… Early on in the text Brands focuses mainly on the three people who were the greatest examples of how through capitalism someone could reach incredible amounts of personal wealth and professional success. Those three people were John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and John Pierpont “J.P.” Morgan. In the book Brands details how the three were able to become such economic powerhouses through capitalism. Brands also mentions aspects of all three men’s business dealings that were far less than ethical. He details the way in which Rockefeller manipulated the lack of federal supervision over the economy to his advantage and created a monopoly in the oil industry. “Those rivals who refused his offers felt the full weight of Standard’s power. He cut prices to below theirs; if they answered with cuts of their own, he cut again. His lower production and transportation costs gave him an advantage over everyone else; when this advantage failed to elicit capitulation, he cut prices to below his own costs, knowing he could stand the
