Andrew Carnegie was a man who started from nothing and built his way up to find his fortunes in world of steel and factories and after retiring set himself to a life of philanthropy donating his fortunes to the people. This isn’t to say he was an entirely good person however, as his time as a business owner and as an employer. Whether he was a captain of industry or a robber baron is up to your opinions, but I believe he was a true captain of industry. Andrew Carnegie built his fortune out of nothing, clawing his way to the top and making his fortune by seeing the expanding usage of steel and quickly jumping on the opportunity, becoming one of the first and biggest steel producers in America, and later the world[2]. With this massive corporation …show more content…
According to Les Standiford from scotsman.com, “Carnegie had his plant manager post a notice that the works would close for an indefinite period and that 1,600 men would be put out of work with the stated reason being plant renovation. But Carnegie had resolved that the real purpose was to drive out the unions, only non-union men would be rehired when they reopened the plant. By February of 1885, with the men facing starvation and freezing temperatures and no money to buy food or coal, they agreed to come back in under individual contracts, their wages decreased by up to 33%. The union was crushed forever at the plant."[3]. This quote directly shows the ruthless nature Carnegie had when it came to his business, despite his good views on life and spending money, and even agreeing with workers unions, he does not want them to get into his factories and increase the prices it cost him to pay is workers. He was willing to put off thousands of workers in the dead of winter with them unable to afford food or proper heating due to the lack of work, just so that he could prevent costs of labor increasing. Another similar case was when Carnegie attempted to avoid harming his public image while dealing with protests, according to learningtogive.net, “While expanding his steel empire, Carnegie ran into a series of labor relation problems with Homestead Works, a rival steel mill with the most modern equipment and technology available that he had purchased. The problems began when the workers organized a strike. Carnegie instructed his associate, Howard Frick, to handle the situation however he deemed necessary. Because Carnegie was seen as a friend of the worker and usually handled similar situations by
I believe that Carnegie’s views are certainly ethical and that the wealthy must assist the poor if not tons of people can die like the many miners who lived tedious low-level existing lives. The miners had a very poor and unhealthy lifestyle they were covered in ash and dust all the time. The dangers of working in the mines were plenty they may be crushed to death at any giving time by the roof burned by exploding gas or simply blown to pieces by the premature blast. There were so many men and boys that ended up being crippled or dead.
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,
then realized the demand for steel was very high and he started his own steel company. Carnegie
Without Carnegie, the steel industry, and the second industrial revolution in general, would never have progressed as much as it did. Carnegie did what was necessary to make the steel industry more productive and more efficient, for less money. He was a shrewd, ruthless, businessman who’s aggressiveness made the steel, railroad, and oil industries so economically successful. These characteristics, though not always looked upon as nice or sympathetic, were sometimes necessary. He had paid his time as a poor factory boy, and now it was his turn to live comfortably and aid others less fortunate to work towards the same success.
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.
Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) was a major American industrialist in the late 19th century and after obtaining substantial wealth from his steel industry, became an advocate for giving back to the less fortunate. Carnegie’s desire to donate to those less fortunate came from past experiences, growing up as an immigrant and working in a cotton factory young. He knew and understood the hardships that people faced when not able to acquire the type of wealth he rose to earn. Through his long life this atypical businessman advocated for many and dedicated the later years of his life to promoting the general welfare of the world.
Let us first look at Mr. Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was a mogul in the steel industry. Carnegie
When Carnegie decided to go into business for himself, he chose the steel industry, but his success came at the expense of his workers. He decided he should own the entire supply chain from iron mines and coal fields (to supply his raw materials) to ships and railroads (to deliver his products). He expanded rapidly; not
In the movie, The Richest Man in the World, Andrew Carnegie played a major role in influencing the Industrial Revolution, which changed the economy of the US and the world forever. This era brought upon significant changes through economic developments that would not only change the ways of the economy but also the social aspect of society, especially within the cities where this growth was located. The shift from hand-made to machine-made products increased productivity and decreased costs. Through the innovations of the new forms of energy, such as iron, and then steel, establishments of factories began, competition between businessmen arose, and innovations of transportation in the city through railroads and bridges developed. The
Andrew Carnegie was an industrialist who led the expansion of the steel industry in America. He made his fortune in the steel industry, controlling the most iron and steel
In the time numerous individuals lived in destitution. They required an approach to profit to accommodate their families. The steel business which Carnegie built up helped in giving Americans employment. In that time the steel business was one of the most elevated paying occupations in America. Americans were paid 1.81 an hour and that was the second most noteworthy paying pay as indicated by the record .(Doc 7)People contend that in spite of the reality of giving American occupations in the steel industry, the steel industry gave terrible working conditions. In this time the fundamental objective was to give employment to Americans yet individuals still don't look at Carnegie as a saint. Despite the fact that there weren't the best working conditions, at any rate, he began something that we can later advance which are employments today. I'm not saying that it was alright for individuals to
Andrew Carnegie is known for being a Captain of Industry who served their country greatly. Carnegie got this title since he ended up one of the richest men on the planet. One motivation behind why Carnegie is viewed as a Captain of Industry is on the grounds that he helped deliver steel in a more proficient manner. Another motivation behind why Carnegie is a Captain of Industry is on account of without him we would not have libraries that are interested in each race, culture, and religion. Carnegie is likewise viewed as a Captain of Industry in light of the fact that despite the fact that he gave all his cash away at last, Carnegie was considered as one of the most powerful person in the United States. Despite the fact that Carnegie is known for being a Captain of Industry, he is also known for being a Robber Baron. Carnegie is a viewed as a Robber Baron since he had his specialists work in his factories which have poor and dangerous working conditions. Carnegie is additionally a Robber Baron in the fact that as he succeeded and moved toward becoming the most richest men in the world. The last thing behind why Carnegie is a Robber Baron is because of when his specialists got up from working for essentially no compensation and went on strike which he chose to have one of his head representatives stop the strike to get Carnegie laborers to work for him once more. To finish up Carnegie changed the world with his innovation of steel and he changed history due to his great innovations and
Andrew Carnegie, originally from Scotland, took advantage of the time and created a vertically integrated steel company. Being a vertically integrated company meant he controlled every phase of business from the raw materials to transportation, manufacturing, and distribution of steel. He was a dictator in his company and his factories operated non-stop everyday except for the fourth of July. He believed that the rich had a moral obligation to advance society and he distributed a lot of his money to philanthropies like the creation of public libraries in towns throughout the country. He was seen as a captain of the industry and inspired Americans to become industrial leaders. He was also seen as a “robber baron” because of his dictatorial attitudes, repressive labor, and domination of power and