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There are many famous Americans who have made a positive impact on the history of America, but the most influential of them all has to be Andrew Carnegie, the industrialist who made steel a major industry in the United States. Let me share some of the important facts about this munificent man who will make a great impression on you as well.
Andrew Carnegie was born on November 25, 1835 in Dunfermline, Scotland. Andrew was an only child, but he made his parents, William and Margaret Carnegie, feel very proud of all of his accomplishments. His dad was employed as a home linen weaver, working on a handloom until the power loom was invented, putting his job in jeopardy. (3) Because of this impoverished situation, the family moved to the United States in 1848. William Carnegie obtained employment in a cotton factory. (1) Soon, William quit working at the cotton factory, missing his skills on the handloom, and started to sell linens from door to door. At the same factory that his father worked at, Andrew Carnegie worked as a bobbin boy for $1.20 a week. At the age of 14, Carnegie became a messenger boy in the Pittsburgh Telegraph Office which is a successful position to have at the age of 14. When Andrew turned 18, he was asked by Thomas A. Scott, the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, to be his secretary at a salary of $35 a month, and soon Andrew got a raise of $50 a month. This was a large enough salary to buy a house for his mother, after his father had passed away in 1855. (1)
After his father died, Andrew Carnegie took on the role of being the main provider for the family. This was a lot of responsibility placed on Andrew Carnegie, so he educated himself, and he found that he had a strong interest in reading. He was also passionate about music, fine arts, and education. (1)
Carnegie stayed with the Pennsylvania Railroad for 12 years until he quit that job and became a capitalist. A capitalist is an investor of capital in business who typically has great wealth. When Carnegie was working as a capitalist, he traveled throughout England, peddling the bonds of small United State’s railroads and publicity chartered bridge companies. (2) Carnegie sold 3 million dollars in bonds! I can’t speak for you, but I think that is an impressive amount of money, especially for back in that time period! From that point on, he dominated the steel industry. (1) Carnegie eventually moved to New York City in 1889. In that same year, Carnegie published an important article titled “Wealth”, which was republished in England as the “Gospel of Wealth”. (1) In this article, Carnegie recommended to people with wealth that they had a duty to share their fortunes with the community and to make stewardship a way of life. This is where Andrew Carnegie shared the importance of being a philanthropist, which makes him so highly influential.
In 1901, the U.S. Steel Corporation, through the work of J.P. Morgan, bought Carnegie’s company, leaving Andrew Carnegie’s personal share of the proceeds amounting to $230 million dollars. Following the sale of the company, Carnegie spent the majority of his life writing books and being involved in philanthropy. He is known for such places as the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Institute of Technology, and the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City. Carnegie also established the Endowment for International Peace to help stop war. (1) Andrew Carnegie’s donations have totaled $350 miliion dollars, $288 million dollars being donated to organizations and institutes in the United States, and $62 million to the British Empire.
Sadly, on August 11, 1919, Andrew Carnegie died of bronchial pneumonia at his summer home that was located in Massachusetts. But even in his death, he leaves a legacy behind him of giving to others and sharing passion and education for all.
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