Captains of Industry; or, Men of Business Who Did Something Besides Making Money By James Parton

James Parton’s Captains of Industry presents biographical examples of men who “shed lustre upon ordinary pursuits” either through the exceptional manner in which they executed their businesses or through the “noble use” of the success and leisure attained. Written specifically as “A Book for Young Americans,” the work posits that such industrious and public-spirited individuals constitute the true “nobility of republics”. Drawing on labor and research, the book chronicles the lives of entrepreneurs, inventors, and philanthropists—from hammer-makers to financiers—demonstrating that lasting success is founded on persistence, integrity, and a commitment to serving the wider community beyond simple monetary gain.

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Who May Benefit from the Book

• Young Americans aspiring to business leadership.
• Future entrepreneurs seeking models of excellence and integrity.
• Individuals interested in self-education and the power of persistence.
• Those advocating for social justice and worker welfare.
• Readers looking for examples of noble philanthropy and public service.

Top 3 Key Insights

1. True nobility lies in elevating ordinary work and using wealth for the good of humanity, following examples like Benjamin Franklin.
2. Lasting success demands a relentless focus on creating “the best article,” refusing to compromise quality regardless of circumstance or competition.
3. Perseverance is critical, as many influential figures—from watchmakers to abolitionists—achieved greatness only after decades of concentrated effort.

4 More Lessons and Takeaways

1. Successful capitalists hold significant influence, making it crucial that they share the “best civilization” of their age and country.
2. Great social and industrial breakthroughs, such as those pioneered by Rowland Hill and Frederick Tudor, often face initial public ridicule and governmental resistance.
3. Humane treatment of the labor force, including providing comfortable working environments and better compensation, fosters loyalty and superior productivity.
4. Genius is often misunderstood; extraordinary attainments are the result of diligent “application” rather than inherent talent.

The Book in 1 Sentence

This volume chronicles the lives of industrial pioneers and businessmen who achieved success through integrity, diligence, and noble philanthropy.

The Book Summary in 1 Minute

James Parton’s Captains of Industry provides powerful examples for young Americans, detailing the lives of businessmen who became the “nobility of republics” by elevating their pursuits beyond financial gain. The theme emphasizes superior craft, noble use of leisure, and dedication to serving humanity. Figures like David Maydole, the tireless hammer-maker who refused to make anything but the best, and Ichabod Washburn, the wire-maker who valued coöperation, illustrate that success is built on unwavering commitment to quality. The book features inventors, such as Henry Bessemer, who revolutionized steel, and philanthropists, including Peter Cooper, who dedicated his fortune to creating educational opportunities. From Elihu Burritt, the polyglot blacksmith, to Sir Rowland Hill, the father of penny postage, these biographical sketches universally underscore the value of perseverance, integrity, and prioritizing social welfare over quick profit.

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Chapter-wise Book Summary

1. David Maydole, Hammer-Maker

“I can’t make a pretty good hammer. I make the best hammer that’s made.”

David Maydole was a village blacksmith in upstate New York who, contrary to the typical urge to seek fortune far from home, found extraordinary success by perfecting a common tool. He was particularly concerned by hammer heads flying off their handles. His major improvement was the adze-handled hammer, which used a longer hole to secure the head firmly. Maydole’s business took off after a New York tool dealer saw the quality of his work and left a standing order. He employed over a hundred men and insisted on meticulous handwork and tempering, concluding that perfect tools “cannot be made by machinery”. Maydole never advertised or lowered prices, relying solely on his principle: to make the best article possible.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Perfection found in ordinary pursuits.
  • Invented the adze-handled hammer.
  • Made the “best article” without advertising.

2. Ichabod Washburn, Wire-Maker

“I never… had taste or inclination for it [counting-room], always preferring to be among the machinery, doing the work and handling the tools I was used to, though oftentimes at the expense of a smutty face and greasy hands.”

Washburn, a poor widow’s son, was a self-made man who learned harness-making, machinery, and blacksmithing before dedicating himself to wire manufacturing in Worcester, MA, at age thirty-three. At the time, good quality wire, especially piano steel wire, was not produced in the United States, leaving a British monopoly. Washburn rapidly improved the wire-drawing process, increasing the production efficiency of one man’s labor manyfold. His greatest achievement was perfecting steel wire for pianos. Despite immense success, employing seven hundred men, he retained modesty and strongly advocated that skilled workers deserved participation in net business proceeds above wages, viewing all people as one “great working class”. He bequeathed large sums to practical institutions, including the Worcester County Free Institute of Industrial Science.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Broke foreign monopoly on high-quality wire.
  • Believed workers deserved profit-sharing.
  • Founded industrial educational institutions.

3. Elihu Burritt, the Learned Blacksmith

“The proudest moment of my life… was when I had first gained the full meaning of the first fifteen lines of that noble work [Homer’s Iliad].”

Elihu Burritt (born 1810) apprenticed as a blacksmith and secretly became a devoted, shy student. While working 10-12 hours daily, he calculated complex sums mentally and taught himself Latin and Greek, carrying his grammar in his hat. He later used the rare language collection at the Antiquarian Society at Worcester. When his story of pursuing knowledge under extreme difficulties was publicized by Edward Everett, he gained fame as the “Learned Blacksmith”. Impressed by the global interdependency of nations, he transitioned into public life, dedicating twenty years to lecturing on peace. Burritt organized Peace Congresses and advocated for low uniform ocean postage, contributing significantly to international diplomacy. He held that great attainments resulted from application, not genius.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Self-educated polyglot laborer.
  • Gained fame as “The Learned Blacksmith”.
  • Spent two decades advocating for global peace.

4. Michael Reynolds, Engine-Driver

“Self-reliance… has won Olympic crowns and Isthmian laurels; it confers kinship with men who have vindicated their divine right to be held in the world’s memory.”

Michael Reynolds, an English locomotive engineer and inspector, wrote a book celebrating his challenging profession. He stresses that rising in the ranks requires years of “patient observation and toil,” culminating in a “master passion—a passion for the monarch of speed”. The core skill, he argues, is the management of fire (“shovel-man”), ensuring a strong, sound burn that lasts long runs without needing the blower. Reynolds outlines rigorous pre-trip inspection routines. He elevates cleanliness beyond mere hygiene, linking it to professional virtues like “respect for general order, for punctuality, for truthfulness, for all placed in authority”. He praises engineers who perform extremely long, non-stop runs with great skill and steadiness.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Mastery requires detailed knowledge and intuition.
  • Cleanliness is linked to general professional excellence.
  • Success comes from concentrating energies on the highest goal.

5. Major Robert Pike, Farmer

“And therefore… I humbly conceive that, in such a difficulty, it may be more safe, for the present, to let a guilty person live till further discovery than to put an innocent person to death.”

Major Robert Pike (1616-1706) was a farmer and influential magistrate in Salisbury, MA, who is remembered for his courage in opposing injustice and public fervor. He actively resisted the persecution of Quakers, a policy which was harshly enforced (e.g., fining a man for giving them shelter during a storm). He was heavily fined and stripped of public office for arguing that laws restricting prayer were against the “just liberty of Englishmen”. He was even convicted for profaning the Sabbath by starting a journey before sunset. Pike’s most noble stand was his brave opposition to the Salem witchcraft mania of 1692, arguing on purely Biblical grounds that witchcraft could not be certainly proven due to the devil’s ability to deceive the senses.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Noble figures sometimes must “breast the current” of opinion.
  • Openly opposed Puritan persecution of Quakers.
  • Wrote cogently against the witchcraft trials.

6. George Graham, Clock-Maker

“Sir, here is a watch of my making.”

George Graham (born 1675) was a successful Quaker mechanic in London, apprentice and successor to the famous clock-maker Tompion. His reputation for precise instruments was international, and his clock at Greenwich Observatory remains a testament to his skill. Graham’s primary focus was overcoming the effects of temperature variation on pendulums. He invented the mercury pendulum, which uses a rising column of mercury to precisely counteract the lengthening of steel rods in heat, nearly eliminating time variation. He also invented the widely used “dead escapement”. Though a distinguished member of the Royal Society, he always humbly referred to himself as a “clock-maker”. Graham was buried alongside his master in Westminster Abbey.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Invented the highly accurate mercury pendulum.
  • A scientist who maintained the humility of his craft.
  • Achieved lasting fame and burial in Westminster Abbey.

7. John Harrison, Exquisite Watch-Maker

“And I… would not break my word for any consideration.”

John Harrison (born 1693) was a carpenter who dedicated himself to mastering machinery and clock-work. Like Graham, he tackled the challenge of temperature effects on timekeeping, inventing the gridiron pendulum, constructed of brass and steel bars designed to neutralize expansion and contraction. His life’s work focused on winning the large prize offered by the British government (£20,000) for a method to determine longitude at sea with sufficient accuracy. After decades of development and trials, his chronometer was tested on a voyage to Jamaica, varying by less than two minutes. Harrison ultimately secured the full prize, a feat largely attributed to the “exquisite skill and precision” of his mechanical hand.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • A master craftsman and self-taught scientist.
  • Invented the temperature-compensating gridiron pendulum.
  • Won the £20,000 prize for solving the longitude problem.

8. Peter Faneuil, and the Great Hall he built

“May this hall be ever sacred to the interests of truth, of justice, of loyalty, of honor, of liberty.”

Peter Faneuil (born c. 1701) was a wealthy Boston merchant of Huguenot descent. He stepped forward to resolve a decades-long civic controversy regarding the need for a public market. He offered to build a large market house at his own expense and present it as a gift to the town. Despite being accepted by a narrow margin of just seven votes, Faneuil exceeded his promise, adding a second story to serve as a Town Hall. Completed in 1742, the building was immediately renowned. After being destroyed by fire in 1761, it was promptly rebuilt and became universally celebrated for hosting the fiery meetings that preceded and fueled the American War for Independence.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Resolved a key civic dispute through munificence.
  • Donated the building that became Faneuil Hall.
  • Hall became the vital political center for the Revolution.

9. Chauncey Jerome, Yankee Clock-Maker

“A cheap clock can be made of brass as well as wood!”

Chauncey Jerome’s boyhood was defined by hardship; he lost his father young and endured loneliness and labor as a hireling on a farm. Despite initial discouragement that the clock market was saturated, he taught himself the craft while apprenticed as a carpenter. His business took off, allowing him to sell hundreds of thousands of clocks yearly. His most pivotal innovation was substituting brass components for wood in inexpensive clocks, solving the problem of wooden mechanisms swelling during sea transport. This change enabled him to export cheap clocks globally, making him a fortune. Unfortunately, mismanagement by others led to the ruin of his factory, forcing Jerome back to work on a salary at age seventy-three, a misfortune he bore with integrity.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Persevered despite early poverty and discouragement.
  • Pioneered mass-produced brass clocks for export.
  • Finished his life working on weekly wages after being ruined.

10. Captain Pierre Laclede Liguest, Pioneer

“I have found a situation where I intend to establish a settlement which in the future will become one of the most beautiful cities in America.”

Captain Pierre Laclede Liguest was a French fur trade leader who, in 1763, navigated the Mississippi from New Orleans. He selected a strategically ideal bend of land, high enough to avoid floods, as the site for his new settlement. He dispatched Auguste Chouteau in February 1764 to clear the site and begin construction, naming the place St. Louis. Liguest was celebrated for his great energy and executive force. French pioneers in St. Louis maintained highly peaceful relationships with local Native Americans by assimilating customs, marrying daughters of chiefs, and accommodating the Indian character. Although Spanish rule temporarily stifled growth, the transfer of the territory to the United States in 1804 saw immediate and rapid civic development.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Founded St. Louis as a hub for the fur trade.
  • Successfully predicted St. Louis’s future greatness.
  • Achieved peace by integrating with Native American culture.

11. Israel Putnam, Farmer

“He loitered not… but left me, the driver of his team, to unyoke it in the furrow, and not many days after to follow him to camp.”

Israel “Old Put” Putnam (1718-1790) was a vigorous, enterprising Connecticut farmer who accumulated wealth and gained local celebrity early in life, notably through the tradition of killing a notorious wolf in its den. He distinguished himself in the French War as a colonel, renowned for his scouting skills and ingenuity. After returning to farming, he was ploughing his field in April 1775 when an express brought news of the Battle of Lexington. Putnam immediately left his plough, rode through the night, and arrived in Cambridge the next morning, still in his checked shirt, to command the assembled minute-men. He served four active, useful years as a major-general in the Revolution until a paralytic stroke forced his retirement.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Successful farmer and colonial military hero.
  • Famed for daring, decisive action.
  • Left his plough to lead the Revolutionary effort.

12. George Flower, Pioneer

“For once, the reality came up to the picture of the imagination.”

George Flower was a wealthy English farmer who, with Morris Birkbeck, founded the “English Settlement” in Illinois in 1817. In 1816, Flower spent nearly two years traveling across the U.S. to confirm the rumored existence of the Western prairies. The chapter details the arduous nature of pioneer travel, including the specific art of packing a horse and crossing flooded streams. Flower observed that women were invaluable in pioneering, providing necessary labor and motivation. After consulting with Thomas Jefferson, he and his partner founded Albion in Illinois. Flower reported that founding a school was the crucial step to securing “civilization” in a new town, compelling settlers to remain and commit to the community.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Spent years exploring and locating the American prairies.
  • Documented the logistics and hardships of pioneer travel.
  • Established a stable town by prioritizing educational infrastructure.

13. Edward Coles, Noblest of the Pioneers

“I had thought much of my duty and of their rights, and that it was due alike to both that I should do what I had said I should do…”

Edward Coles, private secretary to President Madison and a Virginian, became convinced during his college years that slavery was fundamentally wrong. Rejecting Thomas Jefferson’s counsel to stay and work against slavery, Coles resolved to relocate to the free state of Illinois. In 1819, during the journey westward, he called his inherited slaves together and granted them immediate and unconditional freedom. He gave each family a quarter section of land and offered them advice on succeeding independently. Coles settled in Illinois and was later elected governor. During his term, he successfully fought against a determined effort to amend the state constitution to legalize slavery.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Surrendered fortune and career for moral convictions.
  • Granted his slaves freedom and land immediately.
  • As governor, successfully blocked the introduction of slavery in Illinois.

14. Peter H. Burnett, Banker

“I can whip any man in this crowd except my friends.”

Peter H. Burnett (born 1807), the first Governor of California, rose from poverty in frontier Tennessee and Missouri. Despite limited formal schooling, he developed intellectual curiosity and self-reliance. After working as a tavern waiter and clerk, he incurred immense debt ($28,000) but resolved to repay it. In 1843, he organized and led a large wagon train 1,700 miles to Oregon. There, he helped establish a provisional government. The gold discovery pulled him to California, where he quickly became wealthy drawing property deeds. He helped form California’s government and was elected its first governor. As a bank president, he later advised that honesty and economy were the most vital factors when assessing a borrower’s trustworthiness.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Self-made man who survived the hardships of the frontier.
  • Paid off massive debts by venturing west.
  • Advocated judging business partners primarily on character.

15. Gerrit Smith

“I am an Agrarian. I would that every man who desires a farm might have one, and no man covet the possession of more farms than one.”

Gerrit Smith (born 1797) was an heir to a vast estate of almost a million acres in northern New York. Though educated and initially devoted to managing his undeveloped lands, his temperament was more philanthropic than commercial. During the Panic of 1837, when he faced ruin, John Jacob Astor loaned him a massive $250,000 based solely on trust and his good character. Smith continuously gave away huge portions of his revenue ($30,000 to $100,000 annually) to various causes. He enacted his agrarian principles by gifting nearly three thousand small farms to landless individuals, particularly colored men. Parton characterizes Smith as a “blind, benevolent Samson” due to his astonishing ignorance of human nature and the impracticality of some of his generosity.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Inherited one of the largest land estates in New York.
  • Generous philanthropist aided by Astor’s faith in him.
  • Gave away thousands of small farms to the poor.

16. Peter Force, Printer

“Whenever… I found a little more money in my purse than I absolutely needed, I published a volume of historical tracts.”

Colonel Peter Force (Old Peter Force) began his life as a printer, serving in the War of 1812. He cultivated a lifelong passion for collecting historical documents, inspired by his father’s veteran friends. Though never wealthy, he amassed an unparalleled library in Washington, consisting of over 22,000 volumes, nearly 40,000 pamphlets, rare newspapers, and manuscripts related to American history. He published the valuable, federally funded American Archives, preserving crucial historical records. His work was temporarily hindered by Secretary of State Marcy, who refused to approve the tenth volume. Before his death in 1868, Congress purchased his entire collection for $100,000, integrating it into the Congressional Library.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Gained expertise from his printing trade.
  • Amassed a priceless American history collection.
  • Published the comprehensive American Archives.

17. John Bromfield, Merchant

“The true ‘protective system,’ of which we hear so much, is to make the best article…” (A general principle, used here due to source limits.)

John Bromfield (born 1779) was a Boston merchant characterized by self-reliance and an abhorrence of waste. He refused financial aid for college to maintain his independence. He amassed a moderate fortune by working as a supercargo, navigating dangerous trade routes and enduring misfortune, including capture by cruisers. In retirement, he lived frugally, believing luxury and excessive spending caused bankruptcy. He left an estate of about $200,000, dedicating more than half to benevolent societies. His most enduring legacy is the $10,000 bequest to Newburyport specifically for planting and maintaining street trees and sidewalks, a unique form of public munificence that provides ongoing satisfaction to the inhabitants.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Valued personal independence above all else.
  • Made a fortune through prudent international trade.
  • Endowed his native city with funds for municipal beautification.

18. Frederick Tudor, Ice Exporter

“I began this trade in the youthful hopes attendant on the age of twenty-two. I have followed it until I have a head with scarcely a hair that is not white.”

Frederick Tudor (born 1783) was the Boston merchant who founded the seemingly impossible business of exporting ice globally. His idea was met with ridicule, but his first cargo to Martinique in 1805 succeeded. Twenty-nine years later, he proved ice could be profitably shipped to India, crossing the equator twice. Tudor invented and developed the best methods for cutting, storing, packing (using sawdust), and discharging ice, reducing waste to a minimum and making ice cheaper in Calcutta than in London. After going bankrupt in unrelated business ventures at age 52, he dedicated himself to the ice trade and successfully repaid his massive debt of $280,000 (principal and interest) within fourteen years, simultaneously regaining a large fortune for himself.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Pioneered the complex global ice trade.
  • Innovated packing and storage to preserve the product.
  • Repaid a massive debt through persistence and commercial acuity.

19. Myron Holley, Market-Gardener

“He had the strength of a giant, and did not abstain from using it in a combative sense on a fit occasion.”

Myron Holley (born 1779) was an eloquent, handsome gentleman and scholar who earned a living selling produce in Rochester, NY, after abandoning law practice, feeling morally disqualified after realizing his client in a murder case was guilty. Holley was the key figure whose persistent advocacy, conviction, and intimate knowledge of the facts persuaded the New York Legislature to undertake the immense project of the Erie Canal. He served eight arduous years as commissioner and treasurer, often working in unhealthy conditions and sometimes risking personal credit. Though he was entirely exonerated after accounting issues arose, he received no compensation for his services or losses. He later devoted himself to difficult public reforms like anti-masonry and founding the Liberty Party.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Gave up law practice for moral conviction.
  • Used tireless persuasion to launch the Erie Canal project.
  • Served the public without demanding personal compensation.

20. The Founders of Lowell

“They caused suitable boarding-houses to be built, which were placed under the charge of women known to be competent and respectable.”

Lowell, MA, was founded in 1821 by men of skill and capital, including Nathan Appleton and Francis C. Lowell, to harness the Merrimac River’s power for cotton manufacturing. Francis C. Lowell had designed the power loom used, having reverse-engineered it after observing British methods. The founders specifically concentrated on the welfare and character of their operatives, determined to avoid the moral degradation common in European factories. They built excellent boarding houses, schools, and churches, attracting well-educated farm daughters. Although working hours were long (eventually ten hours a day), the environment was clean and amenities existed, leading to a high-character workforce. Visitors like Charles Dickens marveled at the conditions and publications like the Lowell Offering.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Industrial center founded on technological self-sufficiency.
  • Pioneered improved social conditions for workers.
  • Demonstrated that industry and morality could coexist.

21. Robert Owen, Cotton-Manufacturer

“We reduced the hours of labor, well educated all the children from infancy, greatly improved the condition of the adults, and cleared upward of three hundred thousand pounds profit.”

Robert Owen (born 1771), the Welsh saddler’s son, was distinguished by his early abilities, managing a factory of 500 people in Manchester by age twenty. He later owned the New Lanark cotton mills in Scotland, where he implemented comprehensive welfare reforms for his 2,000 inhabitants, including education, reduced hours, and improved morality, all while achieving high profitability for 29 years. Success convinced Owen that society itself needed radical restructuring. He spent the remainder of his life and fortune advocating that coöperation should replace competition, suggesting people live in communities of 1,500 to 2,000. However, his public declaration against established religion ruined his standing with influential classes. His utopian communities failed quickly, though his foundational ideas fostered the eventual rise of successful coöperative stores in Britain.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Implemented successful welfare reforms in his factory village.
  • Dedicated his life and fortune to utopian cooperative ideals.
  • Lost public support after challenging conventional religion.

22. John Smedley, Stocking-Manufacturer

“My ancestors’ idea was… that those who ride inside the coach should make those as comfortable as possible who are compelled, from the mere accident of birth, to ride outside.”

John Smedley, a stocking manufacturer in Manchester, maintained uninterrupted harmony between proprietors and employees for over seventy-five years, never suffering a strike. The management adhered to the principle of considering the welfare of the working class. Smedley revolutionized the factory day by having workers arrive at 6 A.M. and then stopping machinery at 8 A.M. for a communal, subsidized breakfast in a comfortable “dinner-house”. This routine fostered a positive atmosphere and was followed by a short religious reading before work resumed. The result of such consideration, which also included providing comforts like dry stockings, was exceptional loyalty, effectiveness, and sobriety among the 1,100 hands, who received full wages.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Achieved decades of labor harmony through consideration.
  • Implemented radical, humane changes to the workday routine.
  • Loyalty and efficiency stemmed from valuing comfort and respect.

23. Richard Cobden, Calico Printer

“Civilization… is peace; war is barbarism.”

Richard Cobden (born 1804) was an English calico printer and statesman, largely self-taught after a difficult childhood. He rose quickly in business but left his lucrative firm to dedicate himself to public affairs. Cobden championed the principles of Free Trade, Peace, and Good Will Among Nations. He published pamphlets advocating non-interventionism and minimal military expenditure. Working closely with John Bright, he tirelessly led the Anti-Corn-Law-League, fighting the oppressive tariffs on imported food that taxed the poor for the supposed benefit of landlords. The repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 was secured largely through his efforts and those of Bright, though driven by the Irish famine. After his fortune was ruined by his dedication to public life, friends raised £80,000 for him.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Gave up great wealth for public and political service.
  • Chief leader in the successful Anti-Corn-Law League.
  • Advocated for global peace and against foreign intervention.

24. Henry Bessemer

“Yes… I understand that; but, surely, if all stamps had a date put upon them they could not at a future time be used again without detection.”

Henry Bessemer (born 1813) was the inventor responsible for simplifying and cheapening the process of converting iron into steel, leading to modern steel rail production. Early in his career, he devised a forgery-proof stamp for the government. He was offered a lucrative office, but his fiancée pointed out a simpler solution (dating the stamps), which the government adopted, costing Bessemer the job but throwing him onto his own resources. He subsequently spent two years and substantial money experimenting until he found a process to convert five tons of iron into steel in minutes with simple machinery. He patented his widely influential process and began his own manufacture, attaining immense profit and adding a vital new material to many industries.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Revolutionized steel production via the Bessemer process.
  • His romantic life inadvertently pushed him to greater invention.
  • Proved the commercial viability of his invention himself.

25. John Bright, Manufacturer

“The interests of all classes are so intimately blended that none can suffer without injury being inflicted upon the rest…”

John Bright (born 1811) was a successful Quaker manufacturer in Rochdale whose family firm was renowned for its long-standing harmony with its employees. His ability to dedicate himself to public life was due to his brother managing the extensive cotton business. Bright received a practical education and became a powerful orator, known for his moral conviction, simple dignity, and command of literature. His principles were guided by his Quaker upbringing, leading him to oppose war, capital punishment, and aristocratic privilege. As the great orator of the Free Trade movement alongside Cobden, he successfully campaigned for the repeal of the Corn Laws. Bright proved that repeal dramatically benefited the industrial class, leading to shorter hours and increased wages.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Manufacturing leader supported by family to pursue politics.
  • Foremost orator in the anti-Corn Law movement.
  • Stressed applying moral principles to governance.

26. Thomas Edward, Cobbler and Naturalist

“Had the object of my life been money instead of nature, I have no hesitation in saying that by this time I would have been a rich man.”

Thomas Edward (born 1814) was a Scottish shoemaker who spent his entire life working at the bench, supporting a large family on minimal wages (8–10 shillings a week). From childhood, he possessed an unconquerable passion for natural history, collecting animals and insects despite being beaten and expelled from three schools. Working 15 hours a day, he became a “night-bird,” using the late twilight hours to collect specimens and learn nature firsthand, often battling wild animals. After nine years, his extensive collection failed to sell for profit. Nevertheless, he continued his work, enriching science through his dedication. In his later years, his story was publicized, leading to a small pension from the Queen, finally securing a measure of comfort.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Lived in extreme poverty due to dedication to science.
  • Self-taught naturalist collecting specimens by night.
  • Honored by the Queen for his scientific contributions.

27. Robert Dick, Baker and Naturalist

“Hardy is the word with working people. Pampering does no good, but much evil.”

Robert Dick (born 1811) was a baker in Thurso, Scotland, who managed a small, solitary business. With an iron frame and enduring character, he devoted his free hours—after his baking duties were done—to intense field study of nature in the harsh Caithness region. Dick was a formidable collector and a highly rigorous self-taught scientist, particularly in botany, entomology, and geology, distrusting academics who studied from books instead of the field. He refused financial assistance, prioritizing self-reliance. Despite his excellence and honesty as a baker, his business declined due to competition and local religious conflicts. He died in poverty, a tragedy Parton attributes to the negligence of the wealthy neighbors who only honored him after death.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Baker whose spare time was dedicated to science.
  • Insisted on rigorous fieldwork over theoretical study.
  • His poverty highlighted society’s failure to reward true merit.

28. John Duncan, Weaver and Botanist

“I loved the pretty little things [plants], and liked to know their names, and to classify in his rude way those that were alike.”

John Duncan (born 1794) was a Scottish weaver whose life was marked by extreme poverty, harsh apprenticeships, and deep personal unhappiness, exacerbated by a disastrous marriage. He began to learn to read only at the late age of sixteen, taught by a schoolgirl neighbor. He was constantly sustained by his quiet passion for botany, which began when he collected rushes for lamp-wicks. As hand-loom weaving declined, Duncan’s wages diminished, leading him to accept pauper relief in old age. After his life story was published, he received a donation of about $1,600, securing his independence for his final years. He died shortly after, leaving his money and library to establish science scholarships for local youth.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Achieved literacy and scientific knowledge through self-study.
  • Botany provided dignity amid deep personal suffering.
  • His legacy became the encouragement of future scientists.

29. James Lackington, Second-Hand Bookseller

“Small profits do great things.”

James Lackington (born 1746) started with almost no schooling but displayed an early flair for selling, first as a pie-man. Apprenticed as a shoemaker, he and his wife started married life with only a halfpenny, sustained by cheerful philosophy. His interest in books led him to use his spare shop space to sell second-hand volumes, initially just to gain a chance to read them. Lackington revolutionized the book trade by instituting “no credit” and selling at the lowest possible price, focusing on high volume. This was a radical departure from old practices. His immense success was epitomized by his motto, which he inscribed on his carriage: “Small profits do great things”.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Built a business from zero capital and sheer industry.
  • Pioneered high-volume, low-margin bookselling.
  • His motto defined his commercial success.

30. Horace Greeley’s Start

“I always find something to keep me busy; and to be doing something for the good of man, or to keep the wheels in motion, is the best medicine one can take.” (This is Peter Cooper’s quote, I need a better quote from this chapter.)

Important Quote: “Do you want a hand?” (Chosen for simplicity, reflecting his struggle.)

Horace Greeley (born 1811) grew up in extreme poverty in Pennsylvania and learned the printer’s trade in Vermont. Often ridiculed for his shabby appearance, he worked seven months in Erie, drawing only six dollars for himself and sending $120 to his father. In 1831, he arrived in New York with $10, completely unknown. He struggled to find work until a foreman, impressed by his honest demeanor, risked giving him a chance setting difficult polyglot type. Greeley’s work proved superior in both speed and accuracy. He later founded the highly successful campaign paper The Log-Cabin, followed by the daily New York Tribune in 1841. He borrowed $1,000 for the startup, aiming to create a cheap, salutary, and interesting daily paper, which succeeded almost immediately due to its commitment to public benefit.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Overcame physical awkwardness and deep poverty.
  • Used initial wages to support his struggling father.
  • Founded the Tribune based on the principle of moral journalism.

31. James Gordon Bennett, and how he founded his “Herald”

“The fellow no doubt wanted to let out the never failing supply of good-humor and wit which has created such a reputation for the ‘Herald.’…”

James Gordon Bennett (born 1795), a Scottish immigrant educated for the priesthood, founded the New York Herald in 1835 from a dingy cellar office. He arrived penniless in America and once starved for two days in Boston before finding work. Bennett spent years as a low-paid journalist, learning the public appeal of personal anecdote. Launching the one-cent Herald at age forty, he served as editor, reporter, and clerk, working 16 to 18 hours daily, sustained by strict sobriety. The paper survived early financial peril thanks to a steady advertising contract for Brandreth’s pills. Bennett’s success was driven by his “indomitable character” and audacity, famously exploiting public controversies, including his own physical assaults, to fuel circulation. He died in 1872, leaving behind one of the world’s most valuable newspaper properties.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Founded a major newspaper from a cellar office.
  • Used aggressive, personalized journalism to gain attention.
  • Success built on immense personal labor and persistence.

32. Three John Walters, and their Newspaper

“The whole edition of ‘The Times’ had been printed by steam during the night, and that thenceforward the steam-press would be regularly used.”

The London Times was founded by John Walter I in 1785 to promote his failed “logographic” (word-writing) printing method. Walter I endured fines and multiple imprisonments for libel due to his criticism of the royal family, establishing an early foundation of editorial boldness. His son, John Walter II, cemented the paper’s independence by refusing government printing contracts and favors, prioritizing autonomy. John Walter II also pioneered the use of the steam printing press in 1814, secretly installing it to avoid pressmen’s violence. The Times established a policy of paying literary contributors extremely well. It achieved further prestige by often advocating public interest, even at temporary financial cost, such as exposing ruinous railway schemes despite massive advertising revenue. The paper is still owned and conducted by John Walter, the grandson.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Secured editorial independence through resistance to government.
  • Pioneered the use of steam power in printing.
  • Attained preeminence by adhering to honesty and public welfare.

33. George Hope

“Treat your laborers with respect, as men; encourage their self-respect.”

George Hope (born 1811) was a highly skilled Scotch tenant farmer whose ancestors had struggled on the Fenton Barns farm. Hope transformed the unproductive clay and sand acreage into renowned agricultural land through a scientific method of mixing soil types, installing drainage tiles he made himself, and employing massive amounts of fertilizer (“high farming”). His farm became famous internationally. Hope was a remarkably humane employer who insisted on treating his workers with respect and provided improved housing and dignified harvest festivals. Despite his success and offer of higher rent, Hope was controversially evicted by his new Tory landlord (R. A. Dundas Christopher Nisbet Hamilton) due to Hope’s Liberal political activism. The eviction highlighted the injustice of “landlordism”.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Transformed poor farmland through scientific investment.
  • Set a high standard for respecting and treating laborers.
  • Forced off his land solely due to political independence.

34. Sir Henry Cole

“There is hardly a household in the country that is not the better for the change; there is certainly no manufacture in which design has any place which has not felt its influence.”

Sir Henry Cole was a dedicated English “Old Public Functionary” who began his career as a clerk and successfully agitated for the reform and accessibility of public records. He was an early supporter of penny postage. Cole lamented the backwardness and ugliness of British industrial design. Working with Prince Albert, he helped launch the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851, which served to expose Britain’s inferiority in design and spur national improvement. Cole was the driving force behind the creation and funding of the South Kensington Museum, filling it with objects and schools to promote the application of art to industry. This institution revolutionized British manufactures and profoundly improved design in common household objects. He retired with honors and a full salary after 40 years of service.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Reformed the disorganized public records system.
  • Instrumental in founding the 1851 Great Exhibition.
  • Created the South Kensington Museum for industrial art education.

35. Charles Summers

“For him… life consisted of but one thing— art . For that he lived; and, almost in the midst of it, died.”

Charles Summers, a celebrated sculptor in Australia, began life as a poor English boy, working as a scarecrow and hod-carrier, the son of a drunken mason. He learned to handle the chisel early and managed to save enough money to move to London. He started humbly as a stone polisher in Henry Weekes’ studio before rapidly developing carving skill. At age 24, he won both the gold and silver medals from the Royal Academy, marking him as an exceptional talent. His intense work ethic, however, led to prostration, sending him to Australia, where he became the founder of sculpture in Melbourne. Summers continued to work with unrelenting intensity, completing colossal statues in Rome in rapid succession, which ultimately led to his sudden death at age fifty-one.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Rose from deep poverty to sculptural acclaim.
  • Founder of the art of sculpture in Melbourne.
  • Died prematurely due to relentless dedication to his craft.

36. William B. Astor, House-Owner

“William will never make money… but he will take good care of what he has.”

William B. Astor managed his immense inherited wealth, which yielded nearly $2 million annually. Parton praises Astor most for what he did not do: he avoided the extravagant waste and ostentatious profusion typical of European magnates, instead modeling prudence and frugality. Astor’s primary business was the careful, profitable investment of his surplus income, which political economists held was “the best for the public” as well as the investor. However, Parton critiques Astor’s constitutional timidity. Although Astor was a key victim of municipal thieves who stole revenue via taxes, he failed to lead the fight against corruption, often choosing compromise over public confrontation.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Praised for rejecting aristocratic wastefulness.
  • Investment strategy benefited both his estate and the public.
  • Criticized for lack of moral courage against corruption.

37. Peter Cooper

“I always find something to keep me busy; and to be doing something for the good of man, or to keep the wheels in motion, is the best medicine one can take.”

Peter Cooper (born 1791) was a philanthropist and industrialist whose 1883 death prompted a sincere, widespread public tribute. Raised in a poor family, he had minimal formal schooling but excelled at manual dexterity, becoming proficient in hat-making, brewing, and carriage-making. As an apprentice, he resolved to found an evening school for mechanics due to his own lack of instruction. He later found great success manufacturing glue, specializing in producing the best possible product. As an engineer, he designed and ran the first successful American locomotive, saving the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from bankruptcy. Having accumulated $700,000, he spent five years building the Cooper Union, a free educational institute. He ultimately gifted about $2 million and lived to age 92, known for his cheerfulness and dedication to human good.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Engineer who pioneered the use of locomotives on curves.
  • Lifelong commitment to funding working-class education.
  • Founded and endowed the massive Cooper Union.

38. Paris-Duverney, French Financier

“It was these four able brothers who supplied the French army with provisions during that terrible time…”

The Paris brothers (Antoine, Claude, Joseph (Duverney), and Jean) rose from obscurity as sons of an Alpine innkeeper due to their sheer energy and financial acumen. They proved their capability by successfully provisioning a French army on short notice through innovative logistics, mobilizing hundreds of mules and barges. They became major army contractors and, during the disastrous end of Louis XIV’s reign, their tireless effort and willingness to risk their own capital saved the French army from collapse. Joseph Paris-Duverney, in particular, was instrumental in restoring the chaotic national finances after the John Law mania, funding the national debt. Duverney also founded the great École Militaire in Paris and helped literary figures like Voltaire and Beaumarchais acquire wealth through business ventures.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Rose from innkeepers to financial leaders of France.
  • Used personal credit to keep the French army supplied.
  • Restored national finances after economic collapse.

39. Sir Rowland Hill

“The actual cost of conveying a letter from London to Edinburgh, four hundred and four miles, was one eighteenth of a cent!”

Sir Rowland Hill (born 1795) was the inventor of the modern Penny Post system. He operated a self-governed school where he abolished corporal punishment. Hill’s attention turned to the exorbitant postal rates (a letter could cost a week’s wages). He determined through study that the distance of carriage was negligible; the true cost lay in handling and processing. This led to his 1837 proposal for a uniform one-penny rate for all distances. Despite fierce opposition from the Post Office, massive public support forced Parliament to adopt the system in 1840. Although initially dismissed by the Tory government, he was later honored with a large national testimonial, a grant of £20,000, and a knighthood. His system multiplied letter traffic by over fourteen times within decades.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Invented the uniform Penny Post system.
  • Public pressure forced adoption despite government resistance.
  • Postal volume exploded following his reforms.

40. Marie-Antoine Carème, French Cook

“Rise, illustrious Shade! Hear the voice of the man who was your admirer and your pupil!”

Marie-Antoine Carème (born 1784) was a French cook who rose from a poor background to become a “prince of the culinary art”. He was the celebrated chef who cooked for Europe’s elite, including Talleyrand, Napoleon, and the English Prince Regent, gaining great wealth. Carème devoted his energy and fortune to the scholarly study and history of his art. He spent years in the Imperial Library researching ancient Roman and Greek cuisine. He published extensive, illustrated volumes comparing “Ancient and Modern Cookery,” thereby elevating his profession into an academic pursuit. His writing showed deep respect for professional dedication, as seen in his dedication to his former master, Guipière, who died tragically in Russia.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Rose to fame cooking for European royalty and statesmen.
  • Dedicated time and wealth to scholarly research on cuisine.
  • Elevated cookery to an acknowledged art form.

41. Wonderful Walker, Parson of all Work

“The annexation… would be apt to cause a general discontent among the inhabitants… or attributing it to covetousness; all of which occasions of murmuring I would willingly avoid.”

Robert Walker, known as “Wonderful Walker,” was a conscientious clergyman in Seathwaite, England, who served his parish for 68 years on a stipend of only £24 a year. Through self-sufficiency and immense industry, he raised eight children and left a respectable estate. He generated income by acting as the parish lawyer/notary, raising sheep, farming, and helping neighbors shear and harvest. He taught school in the church and spun wool on a wheel while instructing students. He famously refused an offer to double his income by annexing a second parish, fearing it would appear covetous or cause local dissent. He was revered for his gentle, cheerful, and apostolic conduct, living nearly 94 years.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Supported family and community on an extremely small stipend.
  • Self-sufficiently produced food, clothes, and fuel.
  • Refused higher wages to maintain moral integrity and peace.

42. Sir Christopher Wren

“Underneath is laid the builder of this church and city, Christopher Wren, who lived more than ninety years, not for himself, but for the public good. Reader, if you seek his monument, look around!”

Sir Christopher Wren (born 1631) was the architect who rebuilt much of London after the Great Fire of 1666, including the colossal St. Paul’s Cathedral, a project spanning 35 years. Though self-taught in architecture, he was a prodigy in science and mechanics at Oxford, becoming a professor of astronomy and a key member of the nascent Royal Society. After the Great Fire, Wren proposed a magnificent plan for restructuring London with wide streets and ample public squares, but chaos and political weakness defeated his grand scheme. Working for a modest salary, he still built or rebuilt 55 churches and 36 halls. He lived to 92, renowned for working faithfully for the “public good,” as declared on his epitaph in St. Paul’s crypt.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Architect who designed St. Paul’s and rebuilt London.
  • His optimal plan for rebuilding London was politically rejected.
  • Exemplified living “not for himself, but for the public good”.

43. Sir John Rennie, Engineer

“The greatest engineers of the past century… were all men who… had ‘an ounce of theory to a pound of practice.'”

Sir John Rennie and his father were eminent engineers, responsible for three major London bridges: London, Southwark, and Waterloo. Rennie was given an ideal education, blending high-level theory from Edinburgh University with intense practical training in mechanics, reflecting the belief that civil engineering is founded on practical mechanics. At age 19, he supervised the construction of Southwark Bridge, an “unrivaled” iron structure. He succeeded his father, successfully completing the new London Bridge in 1831, for which he was knighted. Rennie lamented the influx of untrained personnel into engineering during the railroad boom. He was noted for his wisdom and consideration as an employer, securing loyalty and affection from those who assisted him.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Built the monumental London and Southwark Bridges.
  • Believed engineers must master practical mechanics.
  • Advocated for fair, considerate treatment of employees.

44. Sir Moses Montefiore

“In whatever part of the world, during the last fifty years, the Jews have been persecuted or distressed, he has put forth the most efficient exertions for their relief…”

Sir Moses Montefiore (born 1784) was an Israelite broker, connected by marriage to the Rothschilds, who accrued immense wealth. At age 45, he wisely retired from business, dedicating the remaining half-century of his life and fortune to philanthropy. He was knighted by Queen Victoria. Montefiore’s focus was globally relieving persecuted and distressed members of his own race and religion. He traveled extensively, including seven visits to the Holy Land, where he worked to promote Jewish settlement and agricultural education through funding hospitals and irrigation projects. Upon his 100th birthday in 1883, he received worldwide tributes, underscoring the sincerity and universal recognition of his long, beneficial life.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Retired early to commit to professional philanthropy.
  • Traveled globally to aid persecuted Jewish communities.
  • Promoted agriculture and endowment in the Holy Land.

45. Marquis of Worcester, Inventor of the Steam-Engine

“Great inventions are never the work of any one mind.”

Edward Somerset, the Marquis of Worcester (born 1601), is historically recognized for pioneering the practical application of steam power. Living near coal mines, he was intensely aware of the difficulty of pumping water from deep shafts. The concept of steam toys was ancient (dating back to the Egyptians around 120 B.C.), but Worcester sought a useful application. He invented the “water-commanding engine,” which used steam condensation to create a vacuum to draw water. He expended a large portion of his fortune trying to bring his invention into use and died relatively poor and ridiculed. His work was a crucial step in the long evolution of the steam engine, preceding James Watt’s key improvement (the condenser) by over a century.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Pioneered the practical “water-commanding engine”.
  • Spent personal fortune promoting his invention.
  • His work provided the foundation for future steam technology.

46. An Old Dry-Goods Merchant’s Recollections

“A very large establishment must be conducted honestly, or it cannot long go on. Its very largeness compels an adherence to truth and fact.”

An aged London dry-goods merchant recalled the grueling and corrupt retail practices of his youth. Clerks, including boys working for no wages, labored 14 to 16 hours daily, often leading to drunkenness and debauchery. The business was sustained by dishonesty: clerks received premiums for selling undesirable stock or “remnants,” and customers were often tricked or bullied into purchases. Merchants commonly used deceptive “selling off” sales, sometimes faking fire damage to move old stock. The narrator eventually founded his own house based on the principle of “one price and no abatement”. He concludes that modern, larger establishments necessitate honesty, as the vast scale “compels an adherence to truth and fact” and encourages better working conditions.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Early retail labor involved excessive hours and low morality.
  • Fraudulent sales were central to old merchandising practices.
  • Honesty is a commercial necessity for large modern stores.

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Notable Quotes from the Book

1. “It is then of the greatest possible importance that the men who control during their lifetime, and create endowments when they are dead, should share the best civilization of their age and country.”
2. “The true ‘protective system,’ of which we hear so much, is to make the best article…”
3. “Cleanliness hath a charm that hideth a multitude of faults, and it is not difficult to trace a connection between habitual cleanliness and a respect for general order, for punctuality, for truthfulness…”
4. “I should pity any young man who could read the briefest account of what has been done… without forming a secret resolve to do something similar if ever he should win the opportunity.”
5. “We little think, as we glide over these streams now, that the smallest of them, in some seasons, presented difficulties to our grandfathers going southward on horseback.”
6. “Debility is of much longer duration from labor in factories, stores, and in rooms warmed by stoves. Hail, snow, thunder storms, and drenching rains are all restoratives to health and spirits.”
7. “A strike is like war. It should be the last resort.”
8. “The mere fact that the lord can look upon such a scene [poverty near luxury] and not stir to mend it, is proof positive of a profound vulgarity.”
9. “Writing is a career by itself… Writing for the public is the most arduous and exhausting of all industries, and cannot properly be combined with any other.”
10. “If you wanted your million as much as you want pleasure, by and by, when you have a bald head like mine, you would have your million.”

About the Author

James Parton is the author of Captains of Industry; or, Men of Business Who Did Something Besides Making Money. This volume, intended as “A Book for Young Americans,” was copyrighted in 1884. Parton identified himself as a member of the “fraternity of writers”. Most of these biographical chapters were first published in high-circulation journals of the time, including The Ledger of New York and The Youths’ Companion of Boston. Parton noted that achieving the brevity found in these accounts required considerable “labor and research”. The book was printed in 1890. (Note: Information regarding other books and further personal details about James Parton is not available in the provided sources.)

How to Get the Most from the Books

Read these accounts with attention, forming a secret resolve to emulate the virtues demonstrated. Apply the lessons of intense labor, research, and adherence to quality to find success and public utility in your own life.

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Conclusion

Captains of Industry serves as an inspirational mandate, urging young readers to define their careers not merely by profit, but by the excellence of their contribution and the generosity of their spirit. The lives detailed—from the relentless efficiency of the engineers and manufacturers like Washburn and Rennie, to the moral courage of men like Pike and Coles, and the expansive benevolence of Cooper and Montefiore—collectively advocate for the integration of labor, integrity, and social responsibility. Parton concludes that this blend of diligence and noble purpose represents the highest form of achievement in a republic, ensuring that their examples reach and influence future leaders in the great realm of business.