ipl-logo

Andrew Carnegie's Rise In The Steel Industry

1073 Words5 Pages

The gilded age was a time where men built great empires. Within their businesses and companies around the nation there was a time of horror for many working people. Across the nation there was terrible violence in labor work which affected immigrants, African Americans, women, and sadly children.
During this time in the gilded age, men were arising with new technology. For example, Andrew Carnegie who was born in Scotland and moved into the United States and became one of the wealthiest men as he was grew in the steel business. Carnegie co-founded his own steel company with many new ways of creating and using steel faster and cheaper, which led him to dominate the steel industry. He eventually had a lot of work for people; however many of them …show more content…

As a very competitive man he bought out other oil refineries and he also bought out Andrew Carnegie’s steel company. As his wealth prospered there was a time in which he loaned the United States government money from a deep depression time. Although this was a generous act in his name, his workers where the ones who worked long hours and their wages were very little. Many of his workers died while working in his facilities. New technology meant work for people, not merely for those living in the United States, but for others around the world living in terrible situations, for example people from Russia, Europe and Italy. Many immigrants wanted to work to live better than they did in their hometowns. As companies in the United State emerged, workers founded themselves in hunger for jobs. Many workers where unskilled and most of them could not read, write, or understand the American language. However, they made their way into companies like the steel company along in JP Morgan’s and John D Rockefeller’ …show more content…

They wanted to end child labor, thus they would strike several times against sweatshops. Many women set up unions separate from men because men believed that they should not be working and they believed that women undercut wage levels. In 1869 a massive labor organization in the United States who was unskilled and skilled workers unionized to end child labor and convict labor. They fought for shorter hours and much higher wages. During their strikes they came in conflict with a lot of anarchist, which led to violence. However, with the strikes that workers set up they believe that they could fight for better work, wages, and hours, they also wanted to protect each other by

Show More
Related
549 Words | 3 Pages

The robber baron of the steel industry, Andrew Carnegie, started out as an immigrant from Scotland. Carnegie’s first job was at a cotton mill, where he only made $1.20 a week.

Read More
794 Words | 4 Pages

They have set rules and regulations for workers so that they can be safe while doing their jobs and are forcing employers to raise wages. The early unions obtained the eight hour work day and the foundation for the Workers Compensation Acts, but the unions today have built on that foundation and raised the standards, so that the working men and women can give their families a roof over their heads and food on the table. Labor unions fight for the rights of workers. Today, they are trying to keep jobs in America and get the companies to let union workers to do the jobs needed instead of hired contractors. Many people today would agree with Mother Jones when she said “As I long to see the day when Labor will have the destiny of the nation in her own hands and she will stand as a united force and show the world what the workers can do.”

Read More
477 Words | 2 Pages

Harold C. Livesay writes a great tell-all biography of the life of the great Steel head Andrew Carnegie. In Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business, Livesay writes about the life of Carnegie and the hardships that he had to endure in his early life and how the hardships molded him into the wealthiest man on the planet in his era. Livesay leaves the reader with a sense of what it takes for any man to achieve anything in this world if they just put their mind to it. Livesay shows all of this by showing us from the beginning when Andrew Carnegie and his family came over to the United States in search of the “American Dream”.

Read More
520 Words | 3 Pages

The Gilded Age served as a critical role in shaping the American economy throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Cities became flooded with immigrants and workers which created a pool of cheap labor. Railroads expanded, connecting the nation’s major cities and generating a nationwide marketplace. During this time, much of the rapid growth that occurred was led by inventions that were created. There was also a few who used this change to their advantage and created business empires.

Read More
541 Words | 3 Pages

AFL eventually later on started doing strikes because the workers wanted to and the AFL started catering to it “ Gompers saw strikes as dangerous but necessary and only to be undertaken as a last resort, but the key idea, again, was collective bargaining, or ongoing negotiations between the workers as a group, as a union, and their management”, “ workers tended to really want to stick to their own, and the AFL in a way catered to

Read More
709 Words | 3 Pages

The period between 1865 to 1900, also known as the Gilded Age, was an era of rapid industrialization, immigration, and capitalization in America. After the civil war, previously used factories remained and flourished as manufacturing started to replace farming; which was possible due to vast immigration from Southern and Eastern part of Europe. With an available cheap labor source, businesses rose to great heights, and competition thrived. While companies thrived, working laborers and citizens suffered. Because industrial statesman expanded wealth and created opportunities, but also exploited workers, disrupted competition, and manipulated factors of production, it is justified to characterize the industrial leaders of the Gilded age as both

Read More
1116 Words | 5 Pages

Between 1865 and 1900, Industrialization changed the way America continued about advancing. It brought about industries such as the railroads, steel and oil that generated jobs and opportunities, as well as economic wealth. Although these times were great for some - mainly the millionaires gaining fortune from their businesses and poor immigrants who found better lives in America than there were in their home countries - others, like the farmers and industrial workers, found a hard time making a living in the new, fast paced America. Farmers and industrial workers responded to the cruelness of industrialization by politically, financially, and socially.

Read More
837 Words | 4 Pages

There were not many unions during this time making it harder for workers to fight to get what they want and to make their labor fair. Although there were many protests and groups organized to fight it, such as, the Pullman Strike, the first May Day, the Knights of Labor, and many haymarket protests. The Pullman Strike was a group of workers who protested against the recent reduction they had in their wages. This strike hurt the national rail service because they would not use the Pullman cars on the trains. The first May Day occurred on May 1st, 1886, this protest started because many workers wanted to work 8 hour days but instead worked unfair amount of hours in one day.

Read More
730 Words | 3 Pages

Introduction Andrew Carnegie was a man who started from nothing and worked his way up to be one of the most important men in America’s history; a man who helped shape America. From a boy born into a modest life, to a man who industrialized the steel industry and made millions, he is a textbook example of a rags-to-riches story. Being one of the most important people of his time, he created a steel powerhouse and brought America and the world to new standards. Even with all the obstacles and mistakes, he became such and gained a mass fortune, remaining one of the wealthiest men to have lived.

Read More
1024 Words | 5 Pages

The Gilded Age was a time in the United States’ history where the country experienced radical changes and ideas following the Industrial Revolution. The Revolution introduced factories and fast transportation across the country, changing the U.S. forever. This caused many questions for our country to figure out, specifically questions surrounding the amount of government involvement in our economy. When there was too much government involvement, people complained because America is the “country of the free. When the government did not regulate businesses, things turned disastrous.

Read More
812 Words | 4 Pages

The AFL advocated for most of the same things as the Knights of Labor. The American Federation of Labor used strikes and boycotts against owners to try and get what they wanted. Two major strikes that occurred were the Pullman Strike and the Homestead Strike. Both strikes were very dangerous and had millions of dollars of damage. Some of the strikes and boycotts did work and wages were raised, however some backfired and many workers ended up losing their

Read More
516 Words | 3 Pages

The Gilded Age refers to the period in American history between the 1870s and the early 1900s, characterized by economic growth, industrialization, and technological advancements. The term "gilded" is used to describe the era because, while it was a time of great prosperity for some, there were also significant social and economic problems, including widespread poverty, political corruption, and labor unrest. The period was a time of stark contrasts between the extreme wealth of the few and the poverty of the many. The Gilded Age was driven by technological and business innovations that transformed American industry and society.

Read More
835 Words | 4 Pages

The late nineteenth century was a pivotal moment in American history. During this time, the Industrial Revolution transformed the nation, railroads had dissipated all throughout the country, and economic classes began to form, separating the wealthy from the poor. One of the wealthiest men of this generation was Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant who fled to America to make millions off the railroad, oil and even steel businesses. Carnegie is considered one of the richest men in history, and even with all that wealth he decided to give back to the community. As a matter of fact, Carnegie donated most of his funds to charities, universities and libraries in his last few years.

Read More
583 Words | 3 Pages

Labor unions have been around for centuries. Starting with Samuel Gompers and others, the labor movement was started. Labor Day, an important day for honoring workers, was started because Peter McGuire in 1882 when 10,000 workers in New York City marched, which was sponsored by the Knights of Labor. Overall, in my opinion, labor unions are a good thing because strikes and collective bargaining help the people fight for what they believe they should get with their jobs. In most cases, people support and join labor unions to change something that is wrong with their workplace, from better wages, benefits and working conditions.

Read More
460 Words | 2 Pages

During the late 19th century, there was a growth in industrialization. This brought new opportunities for the poor and the rich. For example, Carnegie helped build the steel industry in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, which made him one of the richest man in the world. As Carnegie gained more wealth, he questioned who money should be given to. Carnegie was both a Robber Baron and a Captain of Industry.

Read More

More about Andrew Carnegie's Rise In The Steel Industry

Related Topics

Open Document