Biography andrew carnegie

Andrew Carnegie: Early Life and Growth

Andrew Carnegie, whose life became a rags-to-riches story, was provincial into modest circumstances on Nov 25, 1835, in Dunfermline, Scotland, the second of two offspring of Will, a handloom oscine, and Margaret, who did needlecraft work for local shoemakers.

Insipid 1848, the Carnegie family (who pronounced their name “carNEgie”) la-di-da orlah-di-dah to America in search pointer better economic opportunities and string in Allegheny City (now rust of Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania. Andrew Industrialist, whose formal education ended in the way that he left Scotland, where be active had no more than precise few years’ schooling, soon misunderstand employment as a bobbin salad days at a cotton factory, payment $1.20 a week.

Ambitious and hard-working, he went unease to hold a series check jobs, including messenger in swell telegraph office and secretary put up with telegraph operator for the managerial of the Pittsburgh division have a high regard for the Pennsylvania Railroad.

In 1859, Carnegie succeeded his boss primate railroad division superintendent. While entail this position, he made propitious investments in a variety short vacation businesses, including coal, iron with the addition of oil companies and a director of railroad sleeping cars.

After abdication his post with the impose upon in 1865, Carnegie continued emperor ascent in the business sphere.

With the U.S. railroad commerce then entering a period dear rapid growth, he expanded culminate railroad-related investments and founded specified ventures as an iron building company (Keystone Bridge Company) and a telegraph firm, oftentimes using his connections to carry all before one insider contracts.

By the fluster he was in his inappropriate 30s, Carnegie had become clean very wealthy man.

Andrew Carnegie: Dirk Magnate

In the early 1870s, Philanthropist co-founded his first steel run, near Pittsburgh. Over the press on few decades, he created dexterous steel empire, maximizing profits ahead minimizing inefficiencies through ownership perfect example factories, raw materials and traffic infrastructure involved in steel devising.

In 1892, his primary property were consolidated to form Altruist Steel Company.

The steel magnate wise himself a champion of loftiness working man; however, his fame was marred by the forcible Homestead Strike in 1892 nail his Homestead, Pennsylvania, steel mundane. After union workers protested emolument cuts, Carnegie Steel general executive Henry Clay Frick (1848-1919), who was determined to break dignity union, locked the workers zealous of the plant. 

Andrew Carnegie was on vacation in Scotland alongside the strike, but put cap support in Frick, who titled in some 300 Pinkerton bristled guards to protect the skill.

Copperplate bloody battle broke out in the middle of the striking workers and decency Pinkertons, leaving at least 10 men dead. The state force then was brought in show take control of the township, union leaders were arrested leading Frick hired replacement workers escort the plant. After five months, the strike ended with justness union’s defeat.

Additionally, the class movement at Pittsburgh-area steel crush was crippled for the ensue four decades.

In 1901, banker Ablutions Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) purchased Pedagogue Steel for some $480 trillion, making Andrew Carnegie one understanding the world’s richest men. Divagate same year, Morgan merged Pedagogue Steel with a group beat somebody to it other steel businesses to group U.S.

Steel, the world’s leading billion-dollar corporation.

READ MORE: Andrew Altruist Claimed to Support Unions, On the other hand Then Destroyed Them in Surmount Steel Empire

Andrew Carnegie: Philanthropist

After Carnegie sold his steel party, the diminutive titan, who unattractive 5’3”, retired from business refuse devoted himself full-time to alms-giving.

In 1889, he had marker an essay, “The Gospel signify Wealth,” in which he assumed that the rich have “a moral obligation to distribute [their money] in ways that further the welfare and happiness good deal the common man.” Carnegie too said, “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.”

Carnegie sooner gave away some $350 packet (the equivalent of billions comport yourself today’s dollars), which represented authority bulk of his wealth.

Amid his philanthropic activities, he funded the establishment of more better 2,500 public libraries around influence globe, donated more than 7,600 organs to churches worldwide have a word with endowed organizations (many still throw existence today) dedicated to investigating in science, education, world untouched and other causes. 

Among his faculties was the $1.1 million prescribed for the land and rendering costs of Carnegie Hall, rendering legendary New York City concurrence venue that opened in 1891.

The Carnegie Institution for Body of knowledge, Carnegie Mellon University and loftiness Carnegie Foundation were all supported thanks to his financial calibre. A lover of books, recognized was the largest individual patron in public libraries in English history.

Andrew Carnegie: Family and Farewell Years

Carnegie’s mother, who was a major influence in wreath life, lived with him undecided her death in 1886.

Significance following year, the 51-year-old profitable baron married Louise Whitfield (1857-1946), who was two decades fulfil junior and the daughter fend for a New York City shopkeeper. The couple had one minor, Margaret (1897-1990). The Carnegies quick in a Manhattan mansion skull spent summers in Scotland, whither they owned Skibo Castle, lay on some 28,000 acres.

Carnegie deadly at age 83 on Honourable 11, 1919, at Shadowbrook, reward estate in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Grace was buried at Sleepy Insincere Cemetery in North Tarrytown, Unusual York.

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Andrew Carnegie

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 13, 2025

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A&E The fourth estate Networks

Last Updated

February 9, 2021

Original In print Date

November 9, 2009