Andrew Carnegie's Contribution During The Civil War

Andrew Carnegie was born on November 25, 1835, in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. Even though Carnegie grew up with little formal education, he was raised in a family that believed in the gravity of books and learning (“Andrew Carnegie Biography” 1). When Carnegie was 13 years old, his family moved to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. His first job was working as a bobbin boy in a textile mill for only $1.20 per week. One year later, he worked in a telegraph office as a messenger for a slightly higher salary of $2.50 per week. After much hard work, he was promoted to an operator with a raise of a four dollars a week (McGuire, “Andrew Carnegie” 1). Andrew Carnegie made a good impression on businessman Thomas Scott of the Pennsylvania Railroad, who Carnegie would often see in …show more content…
Therefore, in 1853, Scott hired Carnegie to be his personal clerk and telegraph operator at a payroll of a monthly $35. Again, after much hard work, he was named superintendent of the Pittsburgh division (McGuire, “Andrew Carnegie” 1). In 1861, after Scott was appointed secretary of war, Andrew Carnegie was promoted to superintendent of the eastern military and telegraph lines. During the Civil War, he assisted counterpart rail transportation for the Union Army and arrange the army’s telegraphic system (McGuire, “Andrew Carnegie” 1). In 1864, Carnegie is drafted into the Union Army, but pays a fee of $850 dollars in lieu of serving in the military (“Rags to Riches Timeline” 1-2). In 1865, Carnegie retires from the railroad and starts the Keystone Bridge Company. Their goal is to build bridges with iron instead of wood (“Rags to Riches Timeline” 2).