Why Is Andrew Carnegie Important

Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-born American industrialist who made millions in the steel industry and later in his life became a “major philanthropist” (History.com). Carnegie was one of the leading figures of industry of America during the 1800s turning him from a poor young boy to one of the richest and most powerful tycoon of his time. As he aged, he sold his company to one of his competitors and turned into a millionaire, probably the richest man of his age. Despite of the hardships he had as a young boy, Carnegie used his childhood experienced to become the determined, business-hungry magnate he turned out to be. Determination was the driving force behind Carnegie’s success. An ambition for riches would mark Carnegie’s success (History.com). He received very little education as a child, but his family still believed that learning was important. That was what helped Carnegie in growing up to “become one of the wealthiest businessmen in America” (Bio.com). When he first started working he earned $1.20 a week at a factory. His determination was backed up by ambition and hard work and he soon found himself working at Pennsylvania Railroad in 1853. Carnegie, while in this position “made profitable investments in a variety of businesses including coal, iron, and oil companies and a …show more content…
Carnegie published the “Gospel of Wealth”, in which he said that rich people have “a moral obligation to distribute [their money] in ways that promote the welfare and happiness of the common man” (Bio.com). Carnegie’s way of thinking was that if a rich person dies rich, he/she dies disgraced. He could have easily given his money to charity but he decided to help out the people because he used to be like those people. By the end of his life, Carnegie donated $350 million, which in today’s world it is the equivalent to billions of