With industrialism looming and the first transcontinental railroad on the verge of completion, the infamous Collis P. Huntington laughed all the way to the bank because he had just invested in the railroad construction venture that it would begin one of the most oppressive monopolies in American history. Huntington was a prosperous railroad magnate, but his practices were considered unfair and he was given the label of a robber baron, a businessman who amasses great wealth in unethical ways. Although Collis P. Huntington envisioned philanthropic projects as a wealthy businessman, he was a robber baron because he presided over the great Central Pacific railroad empire that created a de facto monopoly and often corrupted politics with money. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original EssayOn October 22, 1821, Collis P. Huntington was born into a large family on the Poverty Hollow farmlands in Harwinton, Connecticut. Huntington was as miserly as he was shrewd, and when he was young he had become a relatively wealthy merchant with his brother from the Oneota district of New York. Huntington and some of his brothers were removed from their impoverished family by local farmers who could provide for the Huntingtons. Described as tough and valiant, Huntington sought opportunity with the San Francisco Gold Rush in 1848. He moved to Sacramento seeking profit selling retail mining equipment. While in Sacramento, Huntington not only retailed equipment, but also invested in Theodore Judah's vision of a transcontinental railroad. Huntington becomes wealthy despite his poor education, rising from poverty to power by dominating industries in the Gilded Age. A robber baron greatly expands his control in an industry, and as a result, the domain forms a monopoly. Huntington, along with three other key investors known together as the “Big Four,” were able to build an empire through the railroad advertising industry. During Huntington's time presiding over the industry, he completed significant amounts of construction. Huntington continued to buy transportation businesses, and when he took over most American transportation services he inflated their prices; therefore, creating a recession in the economy while personally receiving large sums of money. The famous American journalist Ben Ratliff examined the impact of the Big Four on the economy, concluding that: "By the early 1870s, they had established a de facto monopoly on California shipping by establishing control in San Francisco, leaving manufacturers and retailers no choice but to encounter the exorbitant costs of the Southern Pacific Railroad or have their products rot in the warehouse (“The Octopus and the Big Four”). investors, including Huntington, profited from the businesses by building a monopoly that unethically forced other businesses into bankruptcy. Huntington, as evident in the passage, was able to expand its control in the transportation industry, further creating a de facto monopoly which had a detrimental effect on the economy. Huntington was a member of the group that grew the industry, but he was also known for plotting against his associates. He was very effective in subduing the railroad business and at the same time expanding his dominance across the North American continent. Written in 1898 by New York Times reporter George Miles confirms that Huntington and his associates continued to build track lines from Oregon to New Orleans, reaching 3,200 miles in length. There were thousands of branches.