Robber Barons facts
While investigating facts about Robber Barons, I found out little known, but curios details like:
In 1972, Stanford University held a vote to decide their new mascot (having dropped "Indians" for being racially insensitive). The winning mascot? The "Robber Barons", an homage to their morally dubious founder. The Stanford administration, however, refused to approve it.
In the early 1900s, rich American robber barons like Hearst would buy entire medieval European castles and transport them, stone by stone, back to America to be rebuilt. They're all over the country now.
In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 8 of the best facts about Robber Barons I managed to collect.
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The original "robber barons" were devious medieval nobles who imposed unsanctioned tolls and tariffs on traveling caravans.
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In 1972 Stanford University attempted to crowdsource their new mascot name. The students voted in favor of "Robber Barons" in honor of their morally dubious founder. The Stanford administration, however, refused to approve it.
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About the robber barons, James Fisk and Jay Gould. During the “Erie War” they issued fraudulent shares into the Erie Railroad Company in order to “water-down” the stock. Cornelius Vanderbilt unsuspectingly spent over $7 million on such fraudulent stock and was forced to cede control.
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Erazem Lueger, a 15th century robber baron who threw cherries at men laying siege to his castle, had a secret tunnel that led to a nearby village where he would resupply, and was killed when a traitor revealed the location of his room and a cannonball was shot into it.
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Warby Parker makes a "colonel monocle" that they claim "is the perfect accessory for robber barons, tyrants, and super villains."
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About Helen Mansfield, who was the lover of two robber barons, one of whom gunned down the other. After the scandal she began a relationship with a woman who worked professionally as a male impersonator and fled to Paris.
