The Father of Modern Philanthropy, Andrew Carnegie, in his article, “Wealth,” describes his views about prosperity and inequality. Carnegie’s views are very much logical considering he was one to come from “rags to riches.” He began by working as a bobbin boy in a cotton mill and soon became a messenger boy in a telegraph office. In addition, Andrew was an enthusiastic reader and expanded his knowledge constantly which led him to become a telegraph operator and later, the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Throughout the years, he climbed up the ladder and eventually built the Carnegie Steel Corporation that transformed into the largest steel industrial company in the world. Because of his unfortunate background, Andrew Carnegie grew …show more content…
McDowell describes a boy that lies about his age in order to get a job in the breaker to help contribute to his family. He explains that working in the breaker is not hard, but it is irritating and takes place in a callused environment. The work is repetitive and done within long hours of the day that amounts to little pay. Although the workers are uneducated, they each have a goal of progressing to become a miner granting they may be crushed to death by a falling roof, blown to pieces by a blast, or burned to death by exploding gas. The life of a miner is a never-ending schedule known as a “voluntary life imprisonment,” where few find the way out. Moreover, the article of “Wealth,” and the story about the life of a miner both emphasize on the poor. The fact that most are uneducated and comfortable living in their familiar setting is why the unfortunate have not progressed in the human race. Some may eventually rise up like Andrew Carnegie in his “rags to riches” story and some will stay where they are in a tedious workplace. In contrast, the miner in the story is hardworking; however, that quality does not get him anywhere in life. It may help him progress in the breaker, but it does not contribute to his outside life nor help him obtain
Andrew Carnegie and Samuel Gomper have different takes when it comes to the role that wealthy people should have in society. The two authors have opposed feelings toward the poor people being in the state of condition that they are in. Although their views are different what they are proposing in both documents can help the poor people. Carnegie’s The Gospel of Wealth focus more on what the wealthy people should do with their wealth to benefit the society.
In the "Gospel of Wealth" Andrew Carnegie believed that the idea of a wealthy man passing down his exceeding wealth to his son. As the son
The context given over Andrew Carnegie led me to believe many things going towards him as a human. Andrew Carnegie had many things accomplished in his life there is much evidence backing up him as a businessman, boss, and one of the richest men in the world. Andrew Carnegie was a classic rag to riches tail, from him coming to the US as an immigrant to being one of the richest and most eager men in the world. He immigrated to the US due to the swinging door policy the states had, allowing new races cultures, etc, to come over to the US and began a new life. During the time he immigrated to the US, there was a large-scale boom in the economy due to the industrial revolution allowing there to be more potential for success.
Carnegie thinks it is better to build public institutions than give charity to the poor because the poor need to have the “desire to improve” and find help in these public institutions. (Carnegie 30). He believes that rather wealthy “Men who continue hoarding great sums all their lives” can find the proper use for their money, which is to help the community. (Carnegie 29). By just giving money to the poor the wealthy are doing all their work and instead the poor should find the assistance they need to improve their lives.
In today’s society the term “rags to riches” is heavily overused, someone can strike it rich in the stock market or the lottery and earn the term. However, a few key figures in history have actually lived a “rags to riches” life. Andrew Carnegie is one such man.
Carnegie is not a hero because he took money, only gave to other wealthy recipients, and contributed largely to his own. Andrew Carnegie took money away from deserving people. Carnegie cut the wages of his workers to donate money elsewhere. In document D, there are two images of Carnegie, one is giving a wage cut notice to the workers and the other is giving a check to Scotland and donating a library to Pittsburg. Carnegie’s employees were working hard and trying to survive in a tough economy, their wages did not deserve a cut.
In this text, he makes a valid argument as to why the rich should administer their own wealth unto those with less fortune. He begins his argument by explaining how wealth has revolutionized the United States. Carnegie mentions how the Sioux chief's wigwam was similar in appearance when compared to the huts of those inferior to him, and then compares this to the differences in economic classes of the 1800s. Carnegie later states how the very definition of wealth has changed throughout the years, where the poorest farmer of the 1860s owns more luxuries than the landlord of just a few years prior. Carnegie includes these two facts because he wants to show how much society has progressed throughout the last few hundred years.
A monopoly man that was previously referenced, by the name of Andrew Carnegie, was seen in the economic aspect of the United States during 1877 to 1896 as an extremely wealthy man who dominated the steel industry. But more than that, he was a man who believed in giving back to the less fortunate, and he was known for his philanthropy throughout his life. His book, The Gospel of Wealth, emphasized the importance of wealthy people, like himself, to give back their money diligently to the community and reinvest in the society around them. This was not only a viewpoint he preached, but also one that he followed, which could be seen by his numerous contributions to American society, more specifically education. Carnegie helped in creating new schools, colleges, and other institutions primarily focused around education and making it easily accessible for all people, no matter their socioeconomic status.
Andrew Carnegie makes it clear that people in society with wealth should help those who deserve the financial help. If those in need of help put in their effort, then why shouldn’t they be helped by those who don’t need it? In the Life of the Average Coal Miner, the harsh conditions that children faced is revealed. Children would work for hours in a crucial and dangerous environment and be rewarded with very little money that did not equal to the amount of work they put in. It is unfair to those who worked in the conditions in the Life of the Average Coal Miner.
The captains of industry believed that the poor people were inferior to the rich people. The rich were superior because they had “wisdom, experience, and the ability to administer”. The duty of a rich person was to help out a poor person which was what was said in the Gospel of Wealth. The Gospel of Wealth is about how the rich person's responsibility is philanthropy. Carnegie believes in charity work so he would donate to libraries, and universities and schools and etc.
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.
While being a great businessman he was also a great philanthropist. At one time Carnegie could be quoted as saying, “I propose to take an income of no greater than $50,000 per year.” Andrew believed in giving a great deal of his wealth to charity and gave most of it away before his death. Carnegie had achieved the majority of his wealth through the steel industry. He controlled the most extensive steel operations ever owned by one individual within the United States.
I categorized Andrew Carnegie a Captain of Industry after learning of his philanthropic views and actions. Carnegie not only obtained a wealth from working hard and wisely investing but used most of his fortune to make a difference on the world. Carnegie own words categorize the essence of generosity and kind hearth. I cannot disagree with him when he stated that “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced”
Underpinnings and Effectiveness of Carnegie’s “Gospel of Wealth” In Andrew Carnegie’s “Gospel of Wealth”, Carnegie proposed a system of which he thought was best to dispose of “surplus wealth” through progress of the nation. Carnegie wanted to create opportunities for people “lift themselves up” rather than directly give money to these people. This was because he considered that giving money to these people would be “improper spending”.
One of the many Gospel of Wealth advocates was Andrew Carnegie, 1835-1919, who was an industrialist who emigrated from Scotland to American in 1848 (Wall, ANBO). Carnegie’s “Wealth” written in 1889