Andrew Carnegie On The Gospel Of Wealth :: essays research papers

Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1835. His father, Will, was a weaver finch and a follower of Chartism, a popular movement of the British working severalise that called for the masses to vote and to run for Parliament in order to sustain improve conditions for workers. The exposure to such political beliefs and his familys poverty make a lasting impression on young Andrew and played a monumental role in his life after his family immigrated to the United States in 1848. Andrew Carnegie amassed easyes in the steel industry after immigrating from Scotland as a boy. He came from a poor family and had little formal education. The roots of Carnegies internal conflicts were deep-seated in Dunfermline, Scotland, where he was born in 1835, the son of a weaver and political radical who instilled in young Andrew the values of political and sparing equality. His familys poverty, however, taught Carnegie a different lesson. When the Carnegies emigrated to America in 18 48, Carnegie determined to bring prosperity to his family. He worked many small jobs which included working for the Pennsylvania line where he first recognized the importance of steel. With this recognition, he resigned and started the Keystone duo play along in 1865. He built a steel-rail mill, and bought out a small steel company. By 1888, he had a large plant. later on he sold his Carnegie Steel Company to J. P. Morgans U.S. Steel Company after a serious, bloody union strike.He saw himself as a hero of working people, yet he crushed their unions. The richest man in the world, he railed against privilege. A generous philanthropist, he slashed the wages of the workers who made him rich. By this time, Carnegie was an established, successful one million millionaire. He was a great philanthropist, donating over $350 million dollars to public causes, opening libraries, silver for teachers, and funds to support peace. In the end, he gave away about 90% of his own money to various causes. He withal preached to others to do the same as in giving money for education and sciences.The problem, however, was that in that respect was such a contrast between the rich and the poor. By this he was referring to the inequalities in rights, hereditary powers, and such things. He also felt we should have a continuum of forward progress, i.e. civilizing, industrializing.Apparently in his time thither was a movement to drift back into a time when there was little advance in modernizing and technologically advancing when "neither overtop nor servant was as well situated.