Brief Biography Of Andrew Carnegie: Captain Of Industry

Andrew Carnegie: Hero? Andrew Carnegie was a captain of industry.He started from the humble background of Dunfermline, Scotland. His companies allowed for the heating of millions of homes and the construction of thousands of skyscrapers in America. He gave immigrants and American citizens working opportunities in the booming cities. While being the head of great businesses, Andrew generously donated millions of dollars to the sciences, the building of libraries and even gave over $10 million worth of pension money to teachers throughout America. Was Andrew Carnegie a generous benefactor or, perhaps, a money hungry robber baron? Andrew donated millions from his fortune to help the lives of the growing American population. His products help

He monopolized the steel market for the better of the citizens. If he owned the biggest and most productive steel mills in America, he could ensure the quality of the product. His company was the most successful at the time simply because he offered the best product (Doc. 1). Him owning the steel giant, Carnegie Steel Corporation, allowed for skyscrapers to be more easily built across the states and even helped contribute to other great inventions in the 19th century. If his practices were not good for the Americans, another steel company would have been the biggest at the time. He charged decent prices for his company's steel. The price of production was always very close to the selling point to allow for affordability throughout the United States (Doc. 2). His work alone helped fuel the economy at a time where cities were plagued with unemployment and

Working from a young age in Scotland, he was always exposed to how business were ran. He was payed very little as a child but he still understood why it had to happen that way. Andrew knew that cheap labor was a good way to increase revenue and production. Steel workers in 1892 had to work for almost 11 hours just to receive $1.81 in pay. That is nowhere near an adequate amount to support someone and his family (Doc. 4). This unfair work to pay rate ratio was very unfair. Workers did not have much a say in their pay because the jobs did not require an education which made the workers very dispensable. This caused outrage at one of his many steel mills. At his Homestead plant in Pennsylvania, a big movement took place. The Homestead workers were upset about their wages getting reduced. The employees stopped working and got into scuffles with the guards at the mill. The encounter was very violent and showed that Carnegie’s system needed a big change. His workers were not being treated right. Flash-forward two years and not much has changed. The workers 11 hour workday has extended to 12 hours with a very slight pay raise. Instead of the $1.81 that was being made two years prior, a furnace worker was now making a measly $2.25 a day (Doc. 3). Andrew was able to do so many different philanthropic activities due to his ability to take care of his workers. He neglected the wishes of the very people