Andrew Carnegie: The Men Who Built America

Words: 485

Pages: 2

Open Document

The “Men Who Built America” took many risks to make the country successful as it is today. With all the railroads being built and all the oil being produced, out came some big rewards. Andrew Carnegie was a major philanthropist an American industrialist who generated a prosperity in the steel industry. In search of better economic opportunities, the Carnegie family moved to Allegheny City (Pittsburgh). He stopped going to school when he arrived in America and earned $1.20 a week as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory. He was holding a wide variety of jobs, making him ambitious and hard-working. One of his jobs was a messenger in a telegraph office and secretary and telegraph operator. He was doing this for the superintendent of the Pittsburgh division of the PA railroad. Later in his career, …show more content…
He founded and iron bridge building company and a telegraph firm while he expanded his railroad-related investments. While doing so, he often used inside connections to win contracts. Carnegie had become a very wealthy man in his early 30s. Near Pittsburg in the early 1870s, Carnegie co-founded his first steel company. Maximizing profits and minimizing insufficiencies through ownership of factories made him a steel empire. His main prophets came through his Carnegie Steel Company in 1892. At his homestead steel mill in Pennsylvania, a violent labor strike broke out. Henry Clay Frick locked workers out of the plant after a workers protested wage cuts. During the time of the protest, Carnegie was on vacation in Scotland. Frick called 300 pinkerton guards to protect the plant, but ten guards died during the strike. After five months, the union was defeated and the labor movement at Pittsburg-area steel mills was crippled for the next four decades. J.P. Morgan made Andrew Carnegie one of the richest men in the world after purchasing Carnegie Steel for $480 million dollars. Later in Carnegie’s life, he gave away

How Did Carnegie Contribute To The American Dream

influenced many immigrants to come to America to utilize the magnificent wonders of America. One immigrant, Andrew Carnegie, took total control of the American steel industry. Others such as J.P Morgan and John D. Rockefeller also monopolized industries but Carnegie stands out because he is an immigrant who saw the American Dream and utilized it greatly in his favor. So did Carnegie hinder the journey of others trying to utilize the American Dream or did he help it? Carnegie came over from the United Kingdom…

Words 1595 - Pages 7

John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, And J. P. Morgan

Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J. P. Morgan in ways that connects their mischievous behaviors to how they make profit. He captivates the reader’s attention when he mentions, “the government of the United States was behaving almost exactly as Karl Marx described a capitalist state: pretending neutrality to maintain order, but serving the interest of the rich” (51). He reexamines the roles of the government in helping these selfish men get their money. Zinn examines how Andrew Carnegie took advantage…

Words 377 - Pages 2

Robber Barons In The 19th Century

the completion of the transcontinental railroad. This triggered a shift from primarily localized economies, to a nationwide one. Young entrepreneurs and businessman decided to take advantage of these events. It has been argued that these men were “robber barons” who reaped massive profits at the expense of workers; however, large quantities of jobs were created and most businessmen gave away large portions of their profits to charities. These businessmen of the late 19th and early 20th century were…

Words 530 - Pages 3

Andrew Carnegie Essay

starting poor and working his way into becoming one of the most “influential Philanthropist” across the world. Andrew Carnegie started as just an immigrant coming across to America with little to no money in his pockets. Little did everyone know, his drive for success would lead him to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs to ever live and founded a legacy that will never die in the Carnegie Steel Company. All of Carnegie’s life he lived in poverty. He was born in Dunfermline, Scotland…

Words 666 - Pages 3

Andrew Carnegie: Titan Of Industry

Andrew Carnegie was a "titan of industry" in 19th century America. His humble beginnings in Scotland as the son of a poor weaver and shoe mender provided him with the ambition to become one of the richest men of his time. After immigrating to the United States, Carnegie helped build America's strong steel industry. His enormous steel business and profit was only made possible by free enterprise. Carnegie did a number of actions encouraged by the free enterprise system to enhance his business. According…

Words 646 - Pages 3

How Did The Gilded Age Affect The Economy

was increasing at such a fast degree, but also much social conflict was involved as well. With higher wages means higher demand for work, and that people from all over come to America. The gilded age was a time were the American people were being blinded by the businessmen and the wealthy. Businessmen like Andrew Carnegie controlled much of the enormous expansion of the American steel industry, and Leaving small business very vulnerable. “While the rich wore diamonds, many wore rags. In 1890,…

Words 1112 - Pages 5

US History RR Essay

labor James H. Hill-Built RR with a sense of public duty and helped locals Cornelius Vanderbilt-Started the consolidation of RR in New York Jay Gould-Used stock watering to boom and bust a RR Richard Olney- Lawyer who changed the view of Gov. interaction with the RR in a way which favored the RR Alexander Graham Bell-Invented the telephone Thomas Edison-Invented the light bulb Elli Whitney-started mass production and interchangeable parts Andrew Carnegie-started US steel and vertical…

Words 654 - Pages 3

Essay on Robber Barons and J. P. Morgan

Most Successful Man in America The most successful man in america has done so much for our country. He has affected the world in many ways people don’t know about. This man has a big impact in the banking world, it is J. P. Morgan. His companies are still around today, just over 100 years later. His business had preceded his death. That’s very successful also it is still booming today. J. P. Morgan was so successful he eventually started buying out other successful business men. He bought out the one…

Words 390 - Pages 2

1900 decade watershed Essay

no longer ran America; big business did. Tammany's power was nothing compared to that of Morgan's. Morgan was physically imposing: a massive man, with a ferocious glare and a purple, hideously disfigured nose, the result of a childhood skin disease. He smoked Havana cigars so big they were called Hercules' Clubs. And he had a tremendous physical effect on people. One man said that a visit from Morgan left him feeling "as if a gale had blown through the house." Unlike Carnegie, Morgan was born…

Words 778 - Pages 4

Gilded Age Dbq

In the years 1877 - 1897, America entered what was called the Gilded Age. The name derived from the book by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley. Gilded means gold on the outside and that was first years of the twentieth century. The Gilded age accelerated industrialization, urbanization, planning and development of the enormous transcontinental railroads. This then sparked new ideas on science and technology, and uprisings of multi-million dollar businesses. The economic changes of the Industrial Revolution…

Words 593 - Pages 3