How Did Carnegie Became A Men Who Built America

As America began to form, new factors of industrialization helped industrialist generate their fortunes through the use of technology, natural resources, and transportation. Many of the ndustrialists who were able to exploit the earth's resources generated fortunes, due to being the first ones to consider the endless possibilities that these materials could have in creating the new America. For instance, new innovations of technology allowed Carnegie, with the help of Henry Bessemer, to cut the manufacturing time of a single steel rail from two weeks to 15 minutes (Megan, Ruan and Patrick Ream). Carnegie’s resourcefulness in utilizing steel in order to build stronger and more stable architectures resulted in many industrialist seeking his services.

For example, when Carnegie was first assigned to build a mile-long bridge across the Mississippi River from East to West he faced the decision of finding a material that would be strong enough and could support the long distance. He came up with the decision to use steel but the metal was very expensive and he soon fell behind two years of construction. In the end, after four years, at the age of 33, Carnegie was able to build the first major bridge, uniting America across the wide river. (Magan, Ruan and Patrick Reams). The belief Carnegie had, of steel building America, became a reality when he used the relationship of steel with railroads. Rail tracks were remade with steel and they made travel by railroads more efficient and stable. As railroads spread, communication increased, leading to telegraph liness following the path of the railroads. Due to rail tracks being reconstructed with steel, workers were needed, so Carnegie was able to control his workforce because of jobs being desired. Carnegie's vision of steel formed the beginnings of America’s transportation and communications networks that are still used. Additionally, Rockefeller faced a humble beginning, starting “as a bookkeeper in Cleveland, [later] became a merchant, accumulated money, and decided that, in the new industry

For instance, Zinn describes that “industry after industry-shrewd, efficient businessmen building empires, choking out competition, maintaining high prices, keeping wages low, using government subsidies” (2). The correlation between the men who built America were that they found resources where they could boost production, compete with each other, and build wealth. Their achievements came at the coast of the their factory workers who were brutally treated in order to gain efficiency and control. Furthermore, Rockefeller was an industrialist who “borrowed money in order to buy off his competitors, and with the money he gained from this investment, was able to pay off the loans and profit” (John Rockefeller). Additionally, many of the industrialists had connections to wealthy industries and because of the influence they were able to force mergers with smaller companies or gain assistance to create larger powerful corporation. (Encyclopedia Britannica). Vanderbilt’s business is an example where he began with a small company and grew into a wealthy industrialist. He was able to earn small amounts of money that when collected all together, allowed Vanderbilt to buy out his competitors, making him the man of transportation of ferries and railroads. People rarely automatically gain