It was undeniable that the United States had caught up in some fields, but those were only a few fields. The cutting-edge products of the modern world were still in the hands of European nations. Constantly copying European products was detrimental to the reputation of the United States.
As everyone knew, the Sheffield family was patriotic and could not tolerate the tarnishing of the nation's honor. It would make the people of the United States unable to hold their heads high abroad—though these masses had already been brainwashed into believing the U.S. was destined to be number one and rarely traveled overseas anyway.
Only a small part of this effort was for the family's development—Sheffield could swear on it. His primary goal was to make the United States better by eliminating outdated industries and making its industrial landscape more structured and orderly.
At present, running a factory was naturally more challenging than during the Civil War, but not by much. Many industries were still at a stage where small workshops could suffice, especially for basic industrial goods—a phase that was unavoidable.
In many coastal towns of the later Republic of China, this was also the case. When Japan and South Korea began their rise, they too started with family-run workshops as units of wealth creation. There was nothing wrong with that—for the workshops, at least, though perhaps not for Sheffield.
Since the entry barrier was low, there would inevitably be many competitors and a flood of various products in the market. Compared to the established Northern enterprises, the Sheffield family might be slightly lacking, but in the face of these "miscellaneous brands," they were undoubtedly the best. The best business move was undoubtedly monopoly—a point on which both Dixie and Yankee elites could agree.
With too many competitors, it was inevitable that some would slip through the cracks, and the rise of two or three outliers would not be a good thing. Sheffield sought stability. The freemen or middle class should stay in their place and not dream of becoming masters.
"On this trip to Europe, if I can achieve results, upon my return, I will wield the patent club, suing all the small workshops and factories to reshape the domestic landscape. I believe this won't be difficult. Those who don't belong to this era should be eliminated and shouldn't aspire to enter a class they don't deserve."
The room contained only Sheffield and the Old Master. In the dim light, Sheffield's youthful face was solemn as he presented his first plan as heir. "This way, it will also greatly benefit DuPont, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Andrew. I believe they, too, dislike new competitors disrupting the existing order. Everyone seeks the same thing: monopoly. We must not only produce goods but also set prices and eliminate any threats to pricing power. On this point, we can cooperate with the Yankees—it won't be a loss for us at this stage."
"You're going to acquire patent licenses from various European countries?" Anna Bell pondered for a long time, her eyes half-closed, before speaking softly. "Once you secure the licenses, you'll use them to wield the patent club, shutting down small factory owners and clearing the market to establish a foothold. Thinking about it this way, it's not bad. But things won't go so smoothly. Will European countries agree?"
"If they don't agree, they won't be able to enter our market. Domestically, we'll continue to ignore patents not registered in the United States and produce knockoffs," Sheffield said, raising a finger. "They still won't earn a single cent. As long as the price is right, it benefits both sides. Many European companies want to enter the U.S. market—even the Rothschilds."
In reality, applying for patents in the U.S. depended on how you approached it. For U.S. citizens, it wasn't difficult, but for large foreign companies, it involved lengthy reviews and endless disputes. Countless lawsuits awaited them—patent disputes were rampant in this era, often revolving around whether Americans or foreigners were the true inventors, leading to prolonged litigation.
Edison was a quintessential example. In 1854, an American named Goebel created a carbonized bamboo filament that glowed in a vacuum glass bulb for 400 hours—the earliest successful lightbulb experiment. Unfortunately, Goebel didn't apply for a patent promptly. In 1874, two Canadian electricians invented a method of adding nitrogen to a glass bulb and using electrified carbon filaments to emit light. Sadly, they lacked funds to continue their research and sold the patent to Edison.
Thus, initially, Edison didn't hold the patent for the lightbulb in the U.S. and fought numerous lawsuits over it for years.
Here was another rags-to-riches story, enough to inspire young people to strive to become the next Edison who changed America—a quintessential American dream. If you ignored the fact that the majority shareholder of Edison's company was a firm called Morgan, it was almost inspiring.
Under Morgan's support, Edison realized the importance of accumulating vast wealth. He bought up promising patents and hired talented technicians on sight, transforming himself into the "Wizard of Menlo Park" that people recognized.
The Sheffield family had money and factory setups, but they focused more on agriculture and livestock. There was no helping it—once tariffs were lowered, even domestic U.S. products struggled to compete. Aside from Standard Oil and a handful of others, the only U.S. products that could flow freely internationally were grains and meat products, closely tied to agriculture and livestock.
Only agricultural products could be marketed in Europe. The Sheffield family, being an internationally minded enterprise, couldn't abandon this sector. Thus, factories occupied a secondary position in the family's hierarchy—not unimportant, but not foundational either.
"It seems we need to prepare legal talent and coordinate with the Democrats. Grandmother hopes your trip to Europe won't take too long—try to implement all your ideas before the election," Anna Bell said, having sorted out the logic chain and tacitly approving her heir's summer operation. She then asked, "Which country will you visit first?"
"Both Britain and Germany are fine!" Sheffield hesitated slightly. While he appeared confident discussing grand strategies, he hadn't really thought deeply about this specific question.
"I can give you the list of long-term European contacts I've built, including influential figures in the Ottoman Empire. This network was established through my work in international labor transportation—a trade you might call by its euphemistic name, 'labor trade.' However…" Anna Bell paused, then continued, "I suggest you start with France. Your father may have been a complete playboy, but this connection can definitely help you. A good start is crucial."
"I'll follow your advice!" Sheffield automatically filtered out terms like "international labor transportation," which was essentially a euphemism for the slave trade, and obediently agreed.
(End of Chapter)