ipl-logo

Summary Of Andrew Carnegie And The Rise Of Big Business

1120 Words5 Pages

The country that is known for being the land of opportunity, freedom, innovation, or even a fresh start. Whatever comes up in people’s minds, you know that they are thinking about the wonderful United States of America. Where Europeans came looking for religious freedom, economic opportunities and political liberty; gaining novelties in life. Between the 100 year time frame of 1815-1915, an estimated 30 million Europeans took a prolonged voyage to America, seeking for a better life. One notable individual who was a product of one of the millions of Europeans who immigrated to the United States was Andrew Carnegie.The autobiography “Andrew Carnegie and The Rise Of Big Business,” written by Harold C. Liveway, tells the life story of a poor thirteen …show more content…

The belief that anyone can rise above his origins [...] and through hard work, honesty and thrift achieve positions of power and influence.” Meaning anyone can achieve this goal, but it takes countless effort and even struggle to reach. Livay mentions how the ideologies of the American dream circulated around Europe. Pilgrims and ex-convicts would set forth to the new world seeking opportunity as it was scarce in their homeland.The author views Carnegie’s life from poor Scottish immigrant to a phenomenal industrial idol as an example. Andrew Carnegie was born in 1835 in Dunfermline, Scotland. The town’s main industry was the weaving of linen. He had a good upbringing growing up and came from a family who prioritized education. The young Carnegie was exposed to egalitarian political ideas, who’s father and uncle advocated the People’s Charter and other prominent reform groups. During the 1830’s, Carnegie’s father had a successful career as a weaver, however a downfall occurred (Industrial Revolution). Industrialization is prosperous as it increases Britain's national income, and the fast growth changes the English social …show more content…

Tom Scott falls into financial trouble, where Carnegie endorses the loans and the Texas Pacific railroad goes bankrupt, causing him to lose his friendship with Scott. Carnegie spent 17 years in steelworks and he totally transferred, inspiring others in the field. Andrew Carnegie finds himself in difficult and complicated relationships with laborers and unions. He expressed how cost cutting would leave him with the choice of cutting workers' wages. “Low wages does not always imply cheap labor” (Pg.145) one man quoted who was affiliated with Carnegie. Carnegie factory superintendent, Captain Bill Jones, convinces Carnegie to support progressive labor policies. A man himself who knows the terrible feeling of overlooked labor decides to do so. In 1888, Carnegie joined the major strike movement. Throughout his career, Carnegie was always ninety percent of the time to join forces on fair treatment and worker conditions. In conclusion, Andrew Carnegie was an innovative genius. From a poor Scottish immigrant to one of America’s wealthiest men. His personal life struggles to reach the top. Throughout his career, he stayed committed to policies, giving the absolute

Show More
Related

How Did Andrew Carnegie Contribute To Capitalism

2102 Words | 9 Pages

Haley Farrell 8/7/14 AP U.S History Summer Assignment • Andrew Carnegie was an industrialist who influenced the enlargement of the American steel industry in the conclusion of the 19th century. In his era, he was one of the most well-known philanthropists who had also given most of his wealth to charities and foundations. Carnegie believed that those who are wealthy should distribute their riches to work towards amelioration of society and to reduce the gap between socioeconomic statuses, which he expressed in an article called “The Gospel of Wealth” in 1889. Andrew gained his fortune by investing in railroads and bridges in the 1860’s and then later became a bond salesman in which he worked to elevate American enterprise in European countries.

Read More

Prosecution: Andrew Carnegie And The Strike At Homestead

899 Words | 4 Pages

Andrew Carnegie is a steel plant owner who claims to support unions and the working man. His charge is that he ignored the legitimate grievances of his employees at his plant in Homestead Pennsylvania and that his neglect contributed to the death of several of his employees during a strike at Homestead in June of 1892 and that he should be held accountable. Andrew Carnegie has dealt with strikes at his plants before. One strike was at his plant in Braddock Pennsylvania where he settled with the workers by agreeing to higher pay but without input from the Union, essentially ruining it. The union at Homestead was one of the last unions in any of his plants.

Read More

How Did Andrew Carnegie Contribute To The Steel Industry

591 Words | 3 Pages

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie’s was one of the most successful businessmen during America’s Age of Industrialization in the 1880’s. After the Civil War, he saw a future in having a career in the iron industry, and later on, decided to invest in the steel industry (PBS). Though Carnegie is most known for his contribution in the steel industry, he took part in a few other businesses as well. However, the Gilded Age is an era full of poverty and corruption hidden underneath the prosperous, wealthy nation, and the working conditions within Carnegie Steel Company were not much better than those in other factories (Resetar).

Read More

Who Is Andrew Carnegie A Captain Of Industry

493 Words | 2 Pages

Andrew Carnegie wa a scottish immigrant who came to the United States at age 9. Carnegie was a messenger boy and worked as a bobbin boy in a factory. Andrew also worked as the assistant to Thomas Scott, one of the railroads top officials. He buys a company and builds a sleeping car on a train. Andrew earned most of his fortune in the steel industry.

Read More

Robber Barons 1800s

664 Words | 3 Pages

To start, Andrew Carnegie revolutionized steel production in the U.S as he used methods that were faster and easier to make steel, but Andrew Carnegie would have been nothing if it was not for his workers. Carnegie tried to lower his employees’ wages and he is just swindling his workers that, no offense, are poor because they are working for a steel company that have to lower their wages. One incident happened in 1892 when employees in Homestead went on strike after Carnegie tried to lower their wages. In document 3, the author states,” When the company tried to lower wages at a Carnegie steel plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania, the employees objected”(Doc, 3). Carnegie tried to deprive his employees’ of their wages for himself.

Read More

Philanthropy Of Andrew Carnegie Dbq Analysis

379 Words | 2 Pages

“ The Philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie” was written in the second half of the 19th century. During this time railroads, oil, flour, and tobacco were being introduced. Nothing was more successful as the steel industry that Andrew Carnegie introduced. Andrew Carnegie is known as being a “hero” to many people during this time of period. Carnegie has courage, concern for others, and charisma.

Read More

Andrew Carnegie's Impact On Factory Workers

203 Words | 1 Pages

The steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie started out from a humbling beginning as poor immigrate working his way up the corporate ladder (). Until the day came when Andrew Carnegie decided he would strike out on his own, and Carnegie Steel was born. Now, Carnegie new that his steel mills most valuable assets was the workers. Consequently, Carnegie encouraged the workers to participate in collective bargaining for wages (). As a result, the factory workers were able to bargain their way to a truly livable wage.

Read More

Robber Barons In The Gilded Age

1638 Words | 7 Pages

Andrew Carnegie pushed his employees to work long, exhausting hours and put his support behind the plant manager Henry Frick who treated his workers atrociously. Henry even locked out workers and also hired pinkerton thugs to intimidate strikers. The working conditions in Carnegie's mill were so dangerous that twenty percent of deaths in Pittsburgh during the 1880’s were because of steelwork accidents. Andrew Carnegie did not play when it came to his wage. At one point, Carnegie lowered his wage by thirty percent which lead to a strike.

Read More

The Relationship Between Andrew Carnegie And Henry Clay Frick

875 Words | 4 Pages

As Carnegie saw himself as a virtuous employer but the policy which he implemented contradict his public belief. Because, since his origins related to that of his workingman within his company and used this identity which helped sway public support for him and his company. Standiford takes notice by adding “Had Carnegie been challenged he would surely have defended himself vigorously as the possessor of a special understanding of the laborer, having himself been ‘one of the downtrodden.’ And he would always on some sentimental level identify with the less fortunate... Nevertheless, Carnegie continued to make noble statements about the workingman to the very end of his life.”

Read More

Andrew Carnegie's Effect On The Industrial Revolution

406 Words | 2 Pages

Andrew Carnegie had a significant effect on the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution is the development of factories and the mass production of consumer goods, in this case, Carnigies steel. The Industrial Revolution set the economic foundation that allowed Andrew Carnegie to construct his monopoly called Carnegie Steel. Some argue that Andrew Carnegie was a Robber Barron because he didn’t do anything about the dangerous work conditions but the evidence supports that he was a captain of industry because he was a philanthropist and rose from a rags-to-riches storyline. Andrew Carnegie had such a powerful influence on the world and his steel-making establishment is still around today.

Read More

Andrew Carnegie: The Biggest Company In The 1800's

289 Words | 2 Pages

Andrew Carnegie lived a very poor childhood but he managed to create the biggest company in the United States during the 1800’s. Andrew Carnegie donated millions of dollars to the public when he got older such as the education system, Scotland –his home country–, and Pittsburgh –The city that he lived in before he died–. Andrew Carnegie as he got older realized that he didn’t want to die to be rich because “The man who dies rich dies disgraced”(1). Andrew Carnegie after his realization he started to give his money away. Carnegie gave away around three hundred fifty million dollars to multiple foundations or places he was involved in such as Dunfermline trust –his hometown– and the Carnegie institution which promotes scientific research.

Read More

Was Andrew Carnegie A Hero Dbq

1359 Words | 6 Pages

Firstly, it is clear in Document 3 that Carnegie was extremely preoccupied with the acquisition of wealth. His claim that he would “get out of” a business that only drew up financial statements once a year stands out in particular. It is hard to imagine that this preoccupation would not influence his life in other ways. For example, Carnegie, like many people during his time, believed that Darwin’s idea of “survival of the fittest” was not only applicable to humans, but also the ideal state of society. In Document 2, he justifies the economic inequality he knew existed by stating that at least it was, “better... than universal squalor.”

Read More

Essay On Why Andrew Carnegie Is Not A Hero

1329 Words | 6 Pages

The boom of industrialization in the United States lead to several changes throughout the nation that forever affected both the economy, as well as workers within it. One such worker was named Andrew Carnegie, who as a boy began in a very poor family, but then throughout his life worked hard to advance up to one of the highest positions in the steel manufacturing industry. This made his presence widely known throughout the American economy, and furthermore later brought up the argument: was Andrew Carnegie a hero? Throughout his life, though primarily during his career, Andrew Carnegie made several debatable choices concerning his work. These choices further clouded the argument as to whether he was a hero or not.

Read More

Andrew Carnegie Dbq

418 Words | 2 Pages

Andrew Carnegie Essay If I told you Andrew Carnegie was two-faced, would you believe me? He is the all powerful, self-made hero right? Well this “hero” was born in November 1835, in a Scotland settlement, living in the attic of a small cottage. He attended a one-room school with 150 people crammed into it.

Read More

Weapons In Vietnam War

1164 Words | 5 Pages

Air Defense Artillery systems were put to use during the Vietnam War era. The systems had to do more with battlefields than to protect air bases. The weapons used were to serve as a geographical benefit. Heavy firepower was used to deliver serious land warfare. Methods of Air Defense Artillery systems deployed were executed by a variety of missions.

Read More

More about Summary Of Andrew Carnegie And The Rise Of Big Business

Open Document