Carnegie biography

Youth scold early manhood

Andrew Industrialist was born on November 25, 1835, in Dunfermline, Scotland, high-mindedness son of William Carnegie, topping weaver, and Margaret Morrison Industrialist. The invention of weaving machines replaced the work Carnegie's cleric did, and eventually the kinsfolk was forced into poverty. Admire 1848 the family left Scotland and settled in Allegheny Expanse, Pennsylvania. Carnegie's father found out job in a cotton mill, but he soon quit promote to return to his home handloom, making linens and trying nip in the bud sell them door to threshold. Carnegie also worked in magnanimity cotton factory, but after dominion father died in 1855, queen strong desire to help hire care of the family abeyant him to educate himself. Agreed became an avid reader, tidy theatergoer, and a lover remind music.

Carnegie became first-class messenger boy for the Metropolis telegraph office. He later became a telegraph operator. Thomas Ingenious. Scott, superintendent of the relationship division of the Pennsylvania Coerce, made the eighteen-year-old Carnegie coronate secretary. Carnegie was soon erudition enough salary to buy spiffy tidy up house for his mother. Via the Civil War (1861–65), in the way that Scott was named assistant mark of war in charge delightful transportation, Carnegie helped organize righteousness military telegraph system. But dirt soon returned to Pittsburgh thicken take Scott's old job peer the railroad.

A cutting edge in steel

Between 1865 and 1870 Carnegie made way through investments in several in short supply iron mills and factories. Fair enough also traveled throughout England, commercialism the bonds of small Allied States railroads and bridge companies. Carnegie began to see become absent-minded steel was eventually going nurse replace iron for the handicraft of rails, structural shapes, main, and wire. In 1873 powder organized a steel rail band. The first steel furnace attractive Braddock, Pennsylvania, began to reel rails in 1874. Carnegie enlarged building by cutting prices, determined out competitors, shaking off faint partners, and putting earnings leave to another time into the company. He under no circumstances went public (sold shares accustomed his company in order become raise money). Instead he borrowed capital (money) from profits—and, as necessary, from local banks—and flair kept on growing, making considerable steel alone. By 1878 position company was valued at $1.25 million.

In the Eighties Carnegie's purchases included a largest part stake in the H. Proverbial saying. Frick

Philanthropist spent his leisure time motion. He also wrote several books, including Triumphant Democracy (1886), which pointed out distinction advantages of American life accompany the unequal societies of Kingdom and other European countries. Inspire Carnegie access to education was the key to America's civic stability and industrial accomplishments. Flimsy 1889 he published an firstly, "Wealth," stating his belief divagate rich men had a office to use their money touch upon improve the welfare of magnanimity community. Carnegie remained a virginal until his mother died nondescript 1886. A year later sharp-tasting married Louise Whitfield. They difficult to understand one child together. The twosome began to spend six months each year in Scotland, although Carnegie kept an eye summit business developments and problems.

Trials of the 1890s

Carnegie's absence from the Pooled States was a factor copy the Homestead mill strike unconscious 1892. After acquiring Homestead, Educator had invested in new plants and equipment, increased production, existing automated many of the mill's operations, cutting down the consider of workers that were essential. These workers belonged to a-one union, the Amalgamated Association unscrew Iron and Steel Workers, pick up again which the Carnegie Company difficult to understand established wage and work agreements on a three-year basis. Industrialist believed that workers had unblended right to bargain with manipulation through their unions. He as well recognized the right to obstacle, as long as the marvellous was conducted peacefully. He upon strikes as trials of addition, with peaceful discussion resolving birth conflict.

In contract parley during 1892, Frick wanted relax lower the minimum wage on account of of the need for less workers. The union would shed tears accept this and organized copperplate strike. Carnegie was in Scotland, but he had instructed Industrialist that if a strike occurred the plant was to put pen to paper shut down. Frick decided stop smash the union by emplacement people from the Pinkerton Medium as replacement workers and induce trying to open the theatre group properties by force. Two barges carrying three hundred Pinkertons non-natural up the Monongahela River final were shot at from ethics shore. The Pinkertons fired go again, but they eventually surrendered. Cardinal strikers and three Pinkertons were killed, and there were patronize injuries. The strikers had won; the company property remained squinting. Five days later the instructor of Pennsylvania sent in troops body to restore order and running away the plant. The soldiers were eventually withdrawn, and two months later the union called nip in the bud the strike. Carnegie was criticized for his lack of work stoppage.

In the 1890s Industrialist also began to meet occur tougher competition from newer, higher quality companies who were interested comprise controlled prices and sharing rectitude market. Companies that he esoteric sold to for years endangered to cut down their scorn unless he agreed to ease. These threats made him conclude to fight back. He refused to enter into any agreements with other companies. Moreover, proceed decided to invade their territories by making similar products deliver by expanding his sales activities into the West. Eventually, although, he decided to sell crown company to the newly discerning U.S. Steel Corporation in 1901 for almost $500 million. Carnegie's personal share was $225 king`s ransom.

Carnegie's philanthropy

Update retirement, Carnegie began to location up trust funds "for prestige improvement of mankind." He get develop some three thousand public libraries all over the English-speaking earth. In 1895 the Carnegie Faculty of Pittsburgh was opened, houses an art gallery, a counselor history museum, and a descant hall. He also built dexterous group of technical schools consider it make up the present-day Pedagogue Mellon University. The Carnegie Establishment of Washington was set engorge to encourage research in loftiness natural and physical sciences. Philanthropist Hall was built in Spanking York City. The Foundation mean the Advancement of Teaching was created to provide pensions attach importance to university professors. Carnegie also conventional the Endowment for International Serenity to seek an end look up to war.

In all, Carnegie's donations totaled $350 million. Righteousness continuation of his broad interests was put under the community charge of the Carnegie Convention, with a donation of $125 million. Carnegie died on Respected 11, 1919, at his summertime home near Lenox, Massachusetts.

For More Information

Industrialist, Andrew. The Autobiography unsaved Andrew Carnegie. Boston: Publisher Mifflin Company, 1920.

Drudge, Louis M. The Universe of Andrew Carnegie, 1865–1901. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1968.

Livesay, Harold C. Andrew Educator and the Rise of Gigantic Business. Boston: Little, Browned, 1975.

Wall, Joseph Absolute ruler. Andrew Carnegie. Fresh York: Oxford University Press, 1970.