Was Andrew Carnegie a Hero During the late 19th century, Andrew Carnegie made an investment in the steel industry that profited into a fortune, but Carnegie’s earlier life didn’t include wealth. In fact, his family immigrated from Scotland to America in the mid 1800s in search for opportunities. After working tirelessly for many years, Andrew Carnegie became one of the most successful businessmen and philanthropists of all time. Although he accomplished many achievements in the Industry there are underlying reasons indicating that Carnegie was not a hero, such as, his wealth management, inconsiderate work conditions, and hypocrisy.
The first main reason why he is not considered a hero is because of his wealth management that benefited no one, but himself. Before wealth he lived in a an attic shared by his family of four. His humbleness started to vanish as he bought a castle which renovations cost 10,000,000 (document A). The castle demonstrated how wealthy he was and the power he withheld. Besides that, he believed in “survival of the fittest” (Carnegie, 1889). In other words survival of the richest. This contrast with what a hero should be taking in consideration everyone not just the wealthy.
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Carnegie's wage was approximately 92,000 daily in a fifty hour shift. An employee's average daily wage depended on what they worked in but ranged from $1.09 to $1.87 (Bureau of the Census, 1975). Andrew Carnegie's workmen deserved more than what he offered them. Also, the labor these underpaid workers performed was in an unsafe environment where many died or were injured. An example of the life-threatening conditions in accordance with Hamlin Garland, “Sometimes a chain breaks, and a ladle tips over: and the iron explodes” (Garland, 1894). Carnegie could have offered more to his employers who risked their lives each day to provide him with a successful
He was also one the wealthiest men of his time and helped transform the steel industry. Andrew Carnegie could be considered to be a hero in many ways. He helped create jobs, transformed the steel industry and also helped other industries, and was an influential philanthropist. Many of the people at the time were poor and living in poverty. There weren't many jobs; and the one that they did have didn't pay enough to sustain a family.
Andrew Carnegie was a hero in some people 's eyes , not so much in others . That’s why everyone has their own opinion. In this essay you will read one reason someone might think he’s a hero , and two reasons why he is not a hero for the rest of the people. What that means is that this paper mostly leans on that Andrew Carnegie is not a hero and you will read why . Andrew Carnegie was a very wealthy man.
Just like the treatment his workers endured Carnegie wasn't any nicer to his competitors. Andrew Carnegie was a phenomenal businessman. Much of his success is due to how he operated his business. He watched the costs of his business intently (Document C), always making sure that the steel was being produced at a lower price than what it was being sold for (Document D), and he watched his competitors even closer. In March 1889, when Allegheny Bessemer Steel built a mill directly across from Carnegie's mill it intimidated Carnegie.
By Carnegie being reorganized into these traits is known as a hero. To be known as a hero, the person must have some type of courage, or confidence. Carnegie falls into the category of having courage, in (Doc B) states “ leaving wealth at death for public use…” Giving back to the place he grew up it takes courage, not that many people would of done half of
Gina Zubair American History 1 Period 2 September 10, 2014 Andrew Carnegie, a Captain of Industry Andrew Carnegie was one of the most of the powerful men during the late 1800s, had created a steel industry, founded new technology to produce his product faster, and had built his empire starting from the very bottom. He was an American industrialist who gained a fortune in the steel industry, and afterwards became a philanthropist. As a captain of industry because he has done a great duty to shape our country to what it is now, by creating an empire that has built and urbanized our cities as well as philanthropic deeds. Carnegie had lived from 1835 to 1919 and was born in Dunfermline, Scotland. His parent’s names were Will and Margaret.
He was a robber baron because he did not stop until he achieved his greatest wealth. He ended up being the one of the richest men after buying out all of his suppliers, increasing the workload of his employees and getting his competition out of the way. All he cared about was the money, money bought his happiness. Throughout his life, specifically after the Homestead strike he opened his eyes and did deeds of philanthropy. Robber barons do not do philanthropy, captains of industry do.
In 1848 Carnegie left scotland for a new life in the United States.(background 2). What make Andrew Carnegie a hero?what made him a hero, was that he developed successful business practices, gave money to many organizations, and had good employee relations. Andrew Carnegie used his numerous good ideas and strategies to become a successful businessman and make the world a better place.. Andrew Carnegie has three modes on those three modes in which surplus wealth can be disposed of. One of the modes
Carnegie was without a doubt a beneficent man. Not having any desire to kick the bucket with a crazy measure of cash, Carnegie chose to help general society. He was exceptionally contributing individual from society and gave away as much cash conceivable. " There stays, then, just a single method of utilizing incredible fortunes; … The obligation of the man of riches (is to) set a case of unobtrusive … living … ; and … to consider every surplus income … as trust assets … to create the most useful consequences of the group - the man of riches in this way turning into the … operator for his poorer brethren, conveying to their administration his prevalent astuteness, experience, and capacity to direct; showing improvement over they would or could accomplish for themselves… " (Document 8) says Carnegie.
Did the benevolence of Andrew carnegie make him a hero? Indeed it did. Andrew Carnegie was a hero because of how he gave back to the people. In the article “Carnegie’s Philanthropy” it states, “The foundation is currently giving out about $100,000,000 a year, most of it to education.” this shows how carnegie gave people money that would help them.
While there are three main reasons that Andrew Carnegie was a hero, the most significant were in documents B, C, and D.
At this time in Carnegie’s life he was a young boy already working to help his family make ends meet, but he slowly worked his way to becoming a telegraph operator. He was one out of three that could decode the messages by ear, he ended up making four dollars a week. This evidence helps explain why Andrew Carnegie was not a hero, he helped his family make ends meet just like every other child at this time. This does not make someone a hero.
While he reduces the pay of his workers by 20%. Why Carnegie’s philanthropy isn’t heroic?
Andrew Carnegie was a hero in three areas of his life: unselfishness, concern for others, and his grittiness. The first area in which Andrew Carnegie was a hero was his unselfishness in a chart created by Joseph Frazier Wall one can clearly notice how much Carnegie gave out ($350,696,653). Also in Wall’s chart it demonstrates that “The Carnegie Corporation’s net assets in
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.
Carnegie’s views on the treatment of his workers are one of the things that he did that are considered unethical. For instance, during America’s depression in the early 1800’s, Carnegie’s workers were repeatedly asked to work long hours for little play; many unions resisted, particularly in the Homestead Strike of 1892. In the Homestead Strike, workers were angry about pay cuts and Carnegie’s