“To try to make the world in some way better than you found it is to have a noble motive in life.” This quote by Andrew Carnegie is a an accurate summary of the way Carnegie strived to live his life. Carnegie’s story began in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1835, when he was born to lowly weaver Will Carnegie and his wife Margaret(“Andrew Carnegie: Pioneer.”). When Carnegie was thirteen years old, his family along with five-year-old Tom Carnegie, sold much of their belongings and sailed to America specifically Allegheny, PA. Will obtained ownership of a relative’s weaving shp after moving into the two rooms above it. Sadly, the business soon failed, puting the Carnegies in need of money once again(“Andrew Carnegie: Pioneer.”). Andrew soon joined …show more content…
First of all, he was a major pioneer in the steel industry and created one of the most successful steel companies of all time. Carnegie also played a lead role in recognizing the workers’ right to strike, as long as peaceful action is conducted. In addition to this, Carnegie disapproved of pools made by companies solely in order to raise prices and make more money. Second of all, Carnegie impacted the lives of so many with his work in philanthropy. He funded numerous libraries all across the U.S. and even in Europe, meriting him the title “Patron Saint of Libraries”. Aside from libraries, he also funded many church organs, schools, colleges, organizations, and funds. By the time of his death, he had given away ninety percent of his fortune. Finally, Carnegie left a strong psychological impact. In his article titled “Wealth”, he spread about his ideas of the successful economic system and the proper administration of wealth. Carnegie believed that it was the duty of the man with surplus to use that extra for the benefit of the community. He shared many of his other beliefs in his articles also. Clearly Andrew Carnegie was a remarkable man. His actions in life have improved the way of life of many around the world, especially through his donations of free public libraries. This is a clear example of the fact that God uses all people, Christian or not, for the benefit of his Church, many times through the society around
Andrew Carnegie was born in 1835 in Dunfermline, Scotland, but immigrated to the United States in 1848 with his parents. Carnegie became wealthy through his venture in steel with his company Carnegie Steel Corporation. He sold the company in 1901 for $480 million to JP Morgan and decided to focus on his philanthropic work. Carnegie developed an ideology called the “Gospel of Wealth”, in which he stated that “those who accumulated money had an obligation to use it to promote the advancement of society”. Carnegie became famous for practicing what he preached, as he would fund public libraries and gave money to charities.
“I began to stop accumulating and begin the infinitely more serious and difficult task of wise distribution,” as said by Andrew Carnegie. The industrialist and hard-working Andrew Carnegie was a very successful businessman and philanthropist. Andrew Carnegie provided the United States economy to rise due to his steel production in the 1800’s and 1900’s. Although some may think Carnegie was a brutal businessman, Andrew Carnegie enhanced the United States due to his business investments, his philanthropy, and his educational institutions. One way Andrew Carnegie enhanced The United States is his business investments.
He spent the last part of his life giving away millions of dollars. He donated funds to build more than 3,000 public libraries and he funded the Tuskegee and Carnegie Institutes. In his book, The Gospel of Wealth, he described the importance of charitable giving for the public good. These actions instantly changed Andrew Carnegie from a robber baron to a captain of industry.
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.
This helped the consumers in being able to buy the product. Now people could afford it compared to in 1875. By these actions it shows Carnegie as a hero and someone who helps people and gives money for education purposes and was able to lower prices to make things more
During this time, Carnegie bought stock and made several other investments, but in 1873 Carnegie sold out his other interests and focused primarily on the steel business. Carnegie later created the Carnegie Steel Business. Carnegie’s success can be credited to hard work, qualified help and his attention to small details. Carnegie was able to benefit from the 1890’s great depression. While some were going bankrupt, Carnegie used his wisdom and was able to obtain more steel production corporations by buying coal and iron mines, warehouses, ships and railroads so that he could gain control of all parts of the steel process.
Andrew Carnegie created the worlds largest and most profitable steel company making him one of the wealthiest men in the world. Carnegie believed that certain people had the ability do certain things and you must overcome obstacles to do the impossible. Meaning if you have the money and means you are more fit than others. He justified his wealth as benefiting society and promoting civilization.
Morgan, and became a philanthropist (“Andrew Carnegie Biography”). His decisions in how to go about his philanthropy were influenced by his own experiences. While Carnegie didn’t spend much time in a formal classroom, he learned to read and gained knowledge from books (“Andrew Carnegie Biography”). Because of this, Carnegie saw books as the key to helping communities. “Those worthy of assistance … seldom require assistance,” he said (Carnegie 17).
In the Gospel of Wealth article, Carnegie argues that the best way on helping society was to help improve people themselves. Carnegie did not believe that the rich simply give the money directly towards the poor. Instead, he wanted to set up intuitions for the poor to allow people to help there self. According to Carnegie, “ [T]he main consideration should be to help those who will help themselves; to provide part of the means by which those who desire to improve may do so...” (Carnegie, 1889).
Carnegie had turned out to be rich in the wake of living in destitution all through his childhood, in under one century. In the business world, Carnegie could
Carnegie gave the most money to education with mostly $100,000,000 in which places of Princeton University to encourage rowing, TIAA to funding for Teacher’s Insurance, Universities of Scotland to inheritance for universities,... He gave $4,000,000 to help all steelworkers. He had a generous heart when sending $6,248,000 to the church organs. The total giving overall is $350,659,653. His purpose was to give money to who needed.
He believed that it was the rich man’s responsibility to live somewhat modestly and act as a steward with his excess wealth to help those less fortunate. This in general would benefit all of society. Carnegie had several views about wealth during this time. Carnegie’s view of wealth was that he did not understand why he was in the position to make so much money. He did not feel like he should
He believed that if the wealthy don't give back some of their profits to the community, they are living a dishonorable life, and although I didn't necessarily agree with this radical viewpoint at first, I now am a firm believer in Carnegie's argument about wealth.
During the late 19th century, there was a growth in industrialization. This brought new opportunities for the poor and the rich. For example, Carnegie helped build the steel industry in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, which made him one of the richest man in the world. As Carnegie gained more wealth, he questioned who money should be given to. Carnegie was both a Robber Baron and a Captain of Industry.
In the beginning of his business career, Carnegie wrote a letter to himself explaining his future to, “...resign from business at age 35 and live on an income of $50,000 per year, devoting the remainder of his money to philanthropic causes”(Andrew Carnegie’s Story). Even though he ended up retiring at the age of 66, he did follow through with the idea of donating a large portion of his money. Carnegie had all the money in the world but did not know what to do with it. He then decided that the most obvious thing to do with his fortunes was to help make the world a better place.