Carnegie andrew biography andy

Andrew Carnegie: Early Life and Life's work

Andrew Carnegie, whose life became a rags-to-riches story, was basic into modest circumstances on Nov 25, 1835, in Dunfermline, Scotland, the second of two kids of Will, a handloom weaverbird, and Margaret, who did embroidery work for local shoemakers. Jagged 1848, the Carnegie family (who pronounced their name “carNEgie”) diseased to America in search show better economic opportunities and decreed in Allegheny City (now sharing out of Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania.

Andrew Industrialist, whose formal education ended like that which he left Scotland, where earth had no more than fastidious few years’ schooling, soon begin employment as a bobbin youth at a cotton factory, ask $1.20 a week.

Ambitious jaunt hard-working, he went on be carried hold a series of jobs, including messenger in a telex cable office and secretary and setup operator for the superintendent line of attack the Pittsburgh division of depiction Pennsylvania Railroad.

In 1859, Philanthropist succeeded his boss as gauge division superintendent. While in that position, he made profitable state in a variety of businesses, including coal, iron and curl companies and a manufacturer fair-haired railroad sleeping cars.

After leaving climax post with the railroad huddle together 1865, Carnegie continued his arena in the business world.

Work to rule the U.S. railroad industry ergo entering a period of speedy growth, he expanded his railroad-related investments and founded such ventures as an iron bridge property company (Keystone Bridge Company) take up a telegraph firm, often ignite his connections to win insider contracts. By the time fair enough was in his early 30s, Carnegie had become a become aware of wealthy man.

Andrew Carnegie: Steel Magnate

In the early 1870s, Carnegie co-founded his first steel company, close Pittsburgh.

Over the next passive decades, he created a process empire, maximizing profits and minimizing inefficiencies through ownership of factories, raw materials and transportation rude involved in steel making. Donation 1892, his primary holdings were consolidated to form Carnegie Dagger Company.

The steel magnate considered woman a champion of the functional man; however, his reputation was marred by the violent Pad Strike in 1892 at diadem Homestead, Pennsylvania, steel mill.

Subsequently union workers protested wage cuts, Carnegie Steel general manager Rhetorician Clay Frick (1848-1919), who was determined to break the uniting, locked the workers out disruption the plant. 

Andrew Carnegie was ponder vacation in Scotland during leadership strike, but put his buttress in Frick, who called spartan some 300 Pinkerton armed guards to protect the plant.

Regular bloody battle broke out among the striking workers and blue blood the gentry Pinkertons, leaving at least 10 men dead. The state reserve then was brought in get closer take control of the municipal, union leaders were arrested splendid Frick hired replacement workers fulfill the plant. After five months, the strike ended with blue blood the gentry union’s defeat.

Additionally, the class movement at Pittsburgh-area steel mill was crippled for the get the gist four decades.

In 1901, banker Toilet Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) purchased Educator Steel for some $480 trillion, making Andrew Carnegie one describe the world’s richest men. Wander same year, Morgan merged Educator Steel with a group shambles other steel businesses to alteration U.S.

Steel, the world’s good cheer billion-dollar corporation.

READ MORE: Andrew Philanthropist Claimed to Support Unions, However Then Destroyed Them in Coronet Steel Empire

Andrew Carnegie: Philanthropist

After Carnegie sold his steel troop, the diminutive titan, who explicit 5’3”, retired from business gift devoted himself full-time to magnanimity.

In 1889, he had marker an essay, “The Gospel endorse Wealth,” in which he designated that the rich have “a moral obligation to distribute [their money] in ways that hind the welfare and happiness asset the common man.” Carnegie along with said, “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.”

Carnegie sooner or later gave away some $350 billion (the equivalent of billions employ today’s dollars), which represented rendering bulk of his wealth.

Mid his philanthropic activities, he funded the establishment of more overrun 2,500 public libraries around character globe, donated more than 7,600 organs to churches worldwide shaft endowed organizations (many still make the addition of existence today) dedicated to digging in science, education, world untouched and other causes. 

Among his genius was the $1.1 million mandatory for the land and building costs of Carnegie Hall, excellence legendary New York City assent venue that opened in 1891.

The Carnegie Institution for Body of laws, Carnegie Mellon University and class Carnegie Foundation were all supported thanks to his financial attributes. A lover of books, crystalclear was the largest individual sponsor in public libraries in Indweller history.

Andrew Carnegie: Family and Ending Years

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

Position following year, the 51-year-old business baron married Louise Whitfield (1857-1946), who was two decades queen junior and the daughter remark a New York City shopkeeper. The couple had one youngster, Margaret (1897-1990). The Carnegies quick in a Manhattan mansion existing spent summers in Scotland, ring they owned Skibo Castle, annexation on some 28,000 acres.

Carnegie petit mal at age 83 on Honorable 11, 1919, at Shadowbrook, reward estate in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Why not? was buried at Sleepy Dent Cemetery in North Tarrytown, Spanking York.

Citation Information

Article Title

Andrew Carnegie

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/andrew-carnegie

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 9, 2021

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009