Industrial Apologists Economists People Money Argued Demanding Apology

An "apologist" is someone who "defends" (protects from attack) an idea or system, especially when it is unpopular with most people. Often apologists defend religious views, but the term "American Apologists" refers to a group of economists who defended the "industrial age," or the period of time from the 18th to 19th century when large "industry" (large businesses that produce things) grew.

During the industrial age, a few people like Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Rockefeller became very wealthy. Their "greed" (strong desire for more of everything, especially money and power) seemed "unethical" (immoral and wrong) to some Americans. At the same time, most people lost the opportunity for "property ownership" (the ability to own one's home and land) and simply worked for the large industrial "giants" (people and companies that are very successful in a particular field).

The American Apologists tried to defend the greed of the "robber barons" (the people who made a lot of money in the industrial age) "at the expense of" (creating disadvantages for) most other Americans. These economists defended the power of industrial leaders and argued against "anti-trust legislation" (laws that do not allow a single person or company to provide all the products or services of a certain type). They also argued against "labor unions" (groups of workers who create organizations to fight for better pay and conditions). Many of the American Apologists argued that these things were normal, necessary parts of the country's economic development.

Most of their beliefs have been "discredited" (are no longer believed or supported) and most economists now believe that the power of industrial leaders needs to be "limited" (have restrictions) and that workers need certain "protections," like "minimum wages" (the smallest amount of money that can be paid to workers).