Faceless Men

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Lore & Background

The text details how historian T. J. Stiles describes the metaphor of robber barons, which 'conjures up visions of titanic monopolists who crushed competitors, rigged markets, and corrupted government'. It mentions that hostile cartoonists might dress offenders in royal garb to underscore the offense against democracy. While the source discusses the general concept of greedy bankers and corporate figures being likened to medieval Raubritter or robber knights, it never identifies them as 'Faceless Men' or provides a narrative history for such a specific entity.

In Their Own Story

It recounts the origin of the term 'robber baron', noting its first use against Cornelius Vanderbilt in a New York Times article on February 9, 1859. The story describes how Vanderbilt took money from high-priced, government-subsidized shippers to avoid competition, leading political cronies to pay him not to ship on their routes. A critic then drew a comic depicting Vanderbilt as a feudal robber baron extracting a toll. In 2012, Bruce Springsteen performed in Europe singing about bankers as 'greedy thieves' and 'robber barons', but the text offers no narrative involving faceless individuals or a specific fictional group by that name.

Reader's Guide

The text explains that the term 'robber baron' was first applied by 19th-century muckrakers as social criticism against wealthy, powerful, and unethical businessmen who used exploitative practices like wage slavery and creating monopolies. Matthew Josephson's 1934 book argued these industrialists played leading roles in an age of industrial revolution but were branded with the motive of private gain. The source suggests that while some view them as 'captains of industry' who eliminated waste, others see them as 'avaricious rascals' comparable to medieval European robber barons. However, no specific guide or classification system for 'Faceless Men' is present.

Did You Know?

• The term 'robber baron' appeared in the August 1870 issue of The Atlantic Monthly magazine as early social criticism.
• The metaphor derives from Raubritter, medieval German lords who charged illegal tolls on roads crossing their lands or along the Rhine river.
• The New York Times first used the term to characterize Cornelius Vanderbilt's business practices on February 9, 1859.
• In 2012, Bruce Springsteen performed in Europe singing about bankers as 'greedy thieves' and 'robber barons'.
• Vanderbilt was depicted as a feudal robber baron after he charged high prices to government-subsidized shippers who then paid him to avoid competing routes.