Synthesis Essay: Andrew Carnegie And The American-Dream

There have been many inspirational success stories of those who have come from almost nothing to having everything in what seems like only an instant, and Andrew Carnegie is a perfect example. Many would have never guessed that a poor, uneducated Andrew Carnegie would be the owner of multi-billion dollar steel industry, along with a one hundred million dollar castle. However, before Carnegie's lavish lifestyle, he and his family lived in a one room attic of a weaver's cottage in Dunfermline, Scotland. But in search of a better and more improved life, Andrew Carnegie's family made the bold decision to move to the United States to fulfill their idea of the “American-dream”. Here, like most immigrants during this period, Carnegie worked long hours

From this point forward Carnegie dedicated himself to his work to create a better life for himself and it was in 1872 when Carnegie’s life was quickly and remarkably transformed. It was at this time where Carnegie was introduced to Henry Bessemer who had developed a special and technique for converting iron into steel. With the success of the so-called “Bessemer process” it was not long before Carnegie began mass producing millions of dollars worth of steel. Andrew Carnegie was considered an inspiration through generous donations to charity, his intelligent and practical business decisions and his, but when it came to the treatment of his workers, Carnegie was neglecting and terrible.

It is undoubtedly true that Andrew Carnegie was very generous when it came to donation to charity, revealing how selfless and altruistic Carnegie could be. Having net assets over $2,167,000,000 as of 2005, it would be sad to say that Andrew Carnegie never did any good with his money, however this is not true. In his lifetime, Andrew Carnegie made billions of dollars through his

Not many people can become a billion dollar success overnight; it takes great intelligence and dedication and Andrew Carnegie displays this greatly. Specifically, Andrew Carnegie successfully demonstrated the efficiency of vertical integration; the control of the manufacturing process from raw material to manufacturing and the sale of finished product. This is evident as Pittsburgh was almost dedicated to Andrew Carnegie’s steel business. Carnegie owned an entire port facility, six ore transferring boats, multiple steel mills in Pittsburgh, the Union Railroad Company, Oliver Mining Company Co., and Frick Coke Fields. (Document 5) As Carnegie owns almost everything he uses for his business, it is a significant reason for his great success. Owning everything within proximity of himself allows Carnegie to oversee his production and have better control over his company. Additionally, by owning all of his production and transportation services it allows Carnegie to lower the cost of his product, thus eliminating his competition. Selling products at a lower cost makes it more difficult for other companies to try to compete with Carnegie, which essentially makes his business at the top. It is clearly visible that by adopting vertical integration techniques, it makes Carnegie's business very efficient and practical. Similarly, Carnegie's smart business decisions and