Andrew Carnegie: A Captain Of His Industry Or A Robber Baron

Andrew Carnegie was one of the wealthiest men in America but his wealth didn’t come without hard work and dedication. Carnegie was born in “Dunfermline, Scotland on November 25, 1835” (Tyle). According to Laura B. Tyle, the invention of the weaving machine unfortunately pushed Carnegie’s family in to poverty “In 1848, Carnegie’s family left Scotland and moved to Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, where his father and eventually him worked in a cotton factory” (Tyle). After leaving the cotton factory “Carnegie became a messenger boy for the Pittsburgh telegraph office and eventually made his way up to telegraph operator” (Tyle). According to Laura B. Tyle “Thomas A. Scott, the superintendent of the western division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, made Carnegie his secretary at the age of eighteen.” Later, Carnegie took over Scott’s position of the railroad. Furthermore Carnegie “began to see that steel was going to replace iron and by 1873 he organized a steel rail company” (Tyle). According to Laura B. Tyle he continued to build his company when he “cut prices, drove out competitors,

Andrew Carnegie, the “King of Steel”, the benevolent employer, the giant of industry, was among the greatest influences of the second industrial revolution. It is sometimes questioned whether Carnegie was the ruthless, sneaky steel tyrant some made him out to be, or the generous, benevolent education benefactor he appeared to be. I believe him to be a combination of both, but more so the great giant of industry.

The Carnegie Steel Company was a successful factory, which employed many hundred of workers. Andrew Carnegie, who was the owner of the company, wanted a large successful business, which he had achieved already, but he was always looking for ways to save and make more money. By 1892, unions had been formed

Many people at the time were living in poverty and there weren’t enough jobs that had sufficient pay to support a family. The steel industry was one that had the highest earning wages. The average daily wage at the time for iron and steel workers were $1.87, this is far above other industries that had a smaller amount of pay. Others can argue that because of the bad working conditions workers faced in the steel industries, Carnegie shouldn’t be considered a hero. But isn’t the goal of a business to create more jobs? Carnegie believed that it was proper to have completion between the rich and the poor because if there wasn’t, there would be no individuals capable enough to provide such jobs to further expand the essential needs of laborer and those of the economy (Doc 3). When Carnegie sold the Carnegie Steel company to J.P Morgan for $400 Million, the newly named company (U.S Steel) created numerous amounts of jobs employing 168,000 people.

Captains of industry were defined as the business leaders whose means of amassing a personal fortune contributed positively to the country or society in some way. Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller were considered to be captains of industry because with their profits from either their steel company or standard oil company, they give back to the society instead of themselves. They believed in the idea that people give in to you, in which you must give out as well. They established many charitable foundations that allowed them to become well known philanthropist and made them distinguishable from the rubber barons.

     Let us first look at Mr. Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was a mogul in the steel industry. Carnegie

Perhaps the most controversial of Andrew Carnegie’s qualities is his belief in Social Darwinism. The English philosopher Herbert Spencer convinced Carnegie that it wasn’t bad to be successful. It was “survival of the fittest” in the business world and there was no reason for Andrew Carnegie to feel guilty for obtaining more wealth. Throughout Carnegie’s life, he displayed his firm belief in the certainty of competition. In fact, he was afraid of competition and did all he could to obstruct or completely remove it when it came to his

The general argument made by Robert L. Heilbroner in The Master of Steel: Andrew Carnegie is that Andrew Carnegie was a Captain of Industry. More specifically, Heilbroner argues that Andrew Carnegie was a benevolent industrialist who capitalized on opportunities to amass a fortune in which he would later donate towards the benefit of humanity. Andrew Carnegie grew up in a radical environment in Scotland where the arrest of his uncle shaped him into a Republican that despised privilege. Due to the Industrial Revolution and the establishment of steam mills, Carnegie’s family was forced to sell their looms and move to America in order to find new opportunities. Heilbroner points out that young Andrew Carnegie had a negative view on wealth

The “rags to riches” story is a term of reverence respecting the few in society who sacrificed the little they had and emerged successful. These doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and other professionals inspire people of all socioeconomic levels by transforming nothing into something. Jay-Z, George Soros, Steve Jobs – these are names culture holds with great respect. One “rags to riches” story not many Americans have heard of pushes the limits of mental capacity. This man followed the poor-to-rich path and succeeded to such high degree that he, in turn, defined the very essence of this characteristic. Once a poor boy, Andrew Carnegie transformed the limited resources available to him into tools that aided his journey in becoming one of the richest, most successful men in all of history. Carnegie began his journey as an immigrant to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from Scotland. His family sought work, as their former weaving business had been destroyed by the Industrial Revolution (“Andrew Carnegie” American Experience). This experience as a poor worker created the drive that led him to become one of the wealthiest men of all time through his massive steel company, the Carnegie Steel Company. In conjunction with his economic success, the tycoon used the fruits of his leadership in the steel industry to become the “father of American philanthropy” (“Meet Andrew Carnegie”). As accomplished the man became, the

Andrew Carnegie was also a reasonable businessman, he gave many of the men that were living in poverty, employment. His wages were pretty

Andrew Carnegie is considered to be the richest person ever. Carnegie is known for his steel business that he developed on and became one of the last steel business by buying and taking out his competition. Carnegie is said to be a very generous man by donating to education and charities. The questionable thing about Carnegie is if he is a hero? Many people see him as helpful, and nice, but others see him two faced, selfish, and hypocritical.

The Gilded Age of America was a time of rich businessmen, and poor immigrants. Cigars rolled in one hundred dollar bills, food picked up off the street. These ideas would only be emphasised as the “big business” would be introduced to America. The CEOS that let their businesses would ultimately be either praised for their contributions to society, or hated for their greed. Men such as Rockefeller, JP Morgan, and Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was the first man to ever mass produce steel. Steel would help to fuel the industrialization of America. Not to mention that his constant philanthropic efforts, in where he would donate over 350 million dollars to libraries and schools to help educate the poor. However, his workers complained of extremely low wages. Based on the information in the mock trial and outside research, Andrew Carnegie should not be guilty of, reckless endangerment and greed; however, he can be charged guilty with the crime of hypocrisy. Carnegie should be considered as one of the most accomplished captains of industry.

Andrew Carnegie should be imprinted in human story as a robber baron due to the ghastly conditions his workers wrought under and the heinous worker-employer relations with his workers. Andrew Carnegie’s horrific worker-employer relations often led to problems between the two. Andrew Carnegie felt no compassion for his workers in the factories. His assistant, under the approval of Andrew Carnegie, surrounded the workers with armed guards and tried to use the Pinkerton guards to forcefully work their way into the factory. He even had the Pinkerton guards forcefully lock the strikers out of the fence surrounding the factory.

Andrew Carnegie Essay Andrew Carnegie was a ruthless millionaire because of him having a under average wage to so many people that for example led to Homestead Strike (www.history.com, Doc H, Doc I, Doc O). Andrew Carnegie believed in social darwinism that was a way of thinking that the strongest and the ones giving the most effort climes the social ladder the most and his competitor in that area was the great danish person named Jacob Riis who wrote the book called how the other half lives showing the horrible living conditions of how the poor half of the country lived and wrote (notes). Carnegie was also a ruthless millionaire because of the way he gained his monopoly and used it. He made the prices so low for steel that they would go

These investments provided him with the opportunity to create his own company Carnegie Steel. According to Biography.com Carnegie “revolutionized steel production in the United States. Carnegie built plants around the country, using technology and methods that made manufacturing steel easier, faster and more productive.” (Steel Tycoon 1)