The practice of vertical integration contributed most to Andrew Carnegie's ability to form a monopoly. Vertical integration is a process of combining different stages of production such as manufacturing, supplying, distributing, retailing, etc, under the umbrella of one company.
Wealthy industrialists knew how to invest and exploit the system which wasn't used to heavy industry so they amassed huge amounts of wealth through monopolies and trusts while the common person was struggling to survive and had to work in dreadful conditions. This led to many people starting to support socialist tendencies in order to improve their living standard and the way they were treated in the society.<span />
