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Andrew Carnegie: Twentieth Century America

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Andrew Carnegie, one of the top business men in Twentieth century America, went from poverty to a multi-millionaire. Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, on November 25, 1835. When he was twelve, Andrew’s family immigrated to the United States. There, Andrew got his first job as a bobbin boy. He was making only $1.20 a week, and his family remained in poverty. Over the next few years, Carnegie worked in the railroad industry. He started to earn more and more money by investing in train cars and other items. Finally he decided to work in the steel industry. Producing steel was cheaper than iron, and it worked just as good. His main clients were railroad companies which used the steel for ties. He earned millions of dollars and …show more content…

First of all, several men were shot down by guards, and he paid little mind to it. When Andrew was away on vacation, he hired Henry Frick to watch over the business. Frick hired guards, and when a riot broke out, twelve men were shot down and killed. The authorities were not involved! Secondly, Carnegie shut down his factory, just to hire new workers that were non-unionists. He claimed that he was shutting down for renovations, but he really was putting people out of their jobs. The only people he hired back were non-unionists. Lastly, I believe that Andrew Carnegie faked his philanthropism. I think that he donated ninety percent of his money to charity for two reasons. One reason was to not contradict to his book “The Gospel of Wealth” and the second reason was to make his figure seem good for the public. Andrew Carnegie became one of the most successful businessmen of his time. Making a fortune of 350 million dollars, Carnegie was well known. He died August 11, 1919, in Lenox, Massachusetts. Even though Andrew was seen as a philanthropist, he was viewed as a “Robber Baron” because of his terrible treatment to his employees. In conclusion, Andrew Carnegie was a successful businessman with a dark side to

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