DOCUMENT$-$BASED QUESTION

Directions: Question $1$ is based on the accompanying documents. The documents have been edited for the purpose of this exercise. You are advised to spend $15$ minutes planning and $45$ minutes writing your answer. In your response you should do the following:

Respond to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis or claim that establishes a line of reasoning.

Describe a broader historical context relevant to the prompt.

Support an argument in response to the prompt using at least six documents.

Use at least one additional piece of specific historical evidence $($beyond that found in the documents$)$ relevant to an argument about the prompt.

For at least three documents, explain how or why the document's point of view, purpose, historical situation, and$/$or audience is relevant to an argument.

Use evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument that addresses the prompt.

Evaluate the impact of the business leaders on the American economy and society from $1865$ to $1900.$

Document $1$

Source: Interview with William H$.$ Vanderbilt, Chicago Daily News, $1882$

Q: How is the freight and passenger pool working?

W$.$V$.$: Very satisfactorily. I don't like that expression "pool," however, that's a common construction applied by the people to a combination which the leading roads have entered into to keep rates at a point where they will pay dividends to the stockholders. The railroads are not run for the benefit of the "dear public" $-$ that cry is all nonsense $-$ they are built by men who invest their money and expect to get a fair percentage on the same.

Q: Does your limited express pay?

W$.$V$.$: No; not a bit of it$.$ We only run it because we are forced to do so by the action of the Pennsylvania road. It doesn't pay expenses. We would abandon it if it was not for our competitor keeping its train on$.$

Q: But don't you run it for the public benefit?

W$.$V$.$: The public be damned. What does the public care for the railroads except to get as much out of them for as small consideration as possible? I don't take any stock in this silly nonsense about working for anybody's good but our own.