Was Andrew Carnegie a hero? When you think of the name Andrew Carnegie, does the words hero, or non-heroic come after it? Industrialization is growing cities and population, and making factories to mass produce. Andrew Carnegie is a man who went from rags to riches on his own and become #1 in mass producing steel. Andrew Carnegie was not a hero because he lacked integrity and concern for others because he lied about his competitors, and only cared about money. Carnegie may have had success but that doesn't make him a hero. Andrew Carnegie did not display heroic qualities because he was a dishonest man who had no concern for others seeing as he done his competitors dirty and treated his workers terribly. “Carnegie sent out a circular (notice) …show more content…
Andrew Carnegie in September 1875 production cost was pretty high but his selling price was way higher, in January 1877 he lowered his production cost by a lot and the selling price went down as well but it was still fairly higher than what he was making the steel for,and in November 1977 Carnegie was able to lower his production costs even more as well as his selling price which was a bit more than what he spent making the steel. (Doc D). The main idea of this chart is to show that over the period of September to November Carnegie was able to drop his prices and costs significantly but that doesn't make him heroic. That just means he found new methods, material, or cut the cost of labor, this is just Carnegie being a good businessman. Steel production in the United States was very small compared the Great Britain in 1870, ten years later in 1880 the US’s production launched and was just right under Great Britain, another ten years later in 1890 the US finally passed GB in production but but by very much, ten years after that in 1900 Andrew Carnegie’s mills was making one-third of all the steel in the US making the steel production to skyrocket still in the lead at #1 with Germany and Luxembourg no where near and then in 3rd was Great Britain a little bit close to GL (Doc E). This chart is just to show the production of steel in the United States comparing with other countries over the span of 1870-1900 and to see how Carnegie’s mills effected the US production. This chart does not show Carnegie as a hero just how well his factory productions was going. Overall Andrew Carnegie was very good at being a businessman because he had a lot of financial success with lowering his production costs but that's not very heroic of him, it’s really only doing him good because he's saving
Andrew Carnegie, the monopolist of the steel industry, was one of the worst of the Robber Barons. Like the others, he was full of contradictions and tried to bring peace to the world, but only caused conflicts and took away the jobs of many factory workers. Carnegie Steel, his company, was a main supplier of steel to the railroad industry.
Andrew Carnegie, the “King of Steel”, the benevolent employer, the giant of industry, was among the greatest influences of the second industrial revolution. It is sometimes questioned whether Carnegie was the ruthless, sneaky steel tyrant some made him out to be, or the generous, benevolent education benefactor he appeared to be. I believe him to be a combination of both, but more so the great giant of industry.
Andrew Carnegie had no competition. By 1900 Carnegie Steel produced more metal than all of Great Britain. He controlled almost all of the steel produced and used in America. Carnegie used vertical integration, which means that he owned all the companies and resources need to make and process steel, thus giving him the edge and he was able to cut down costs.
Andrew Carnegie and his philanthropy made him a hero because he helped more people than harm in the long run, by this I mean he helped other countries. He also sets a great example to everyone that helping others or someone is not something you need to wait to do when you are no longer living. If someone needed help and even a stable person had the choice to help but until they are no longer alive has little meaning. Perhaps it would be too late when the person isn’t around anymore. Its about what someone can do to help when they are around, it is about what a person can do in the time of need even if it is not much but a little of anything can go a long way. In (Doc C) there is a list of amounts of money that Carnegie has donated to various places which in total he has donated well over $271m but aside from that his corporation is giving out about $100m a year, most of it to education (Doc C)
In 1900 Andrew Carnegie made about $23 million and worked a 50-hour week and a 50-week year. Carnegie’s daily wage was about $92,00. The average daily hours and average daily wages in US manufacturing in 1892 were from 9.81 to 10.87 hours and workers were paid from $1.09 to $1.87, (doc 7). The average daily hours in shoemaking was 9.81 and the average daily wage was $1.58 (doc 7). Iron and steel workers, such as Carnegie’s co-workers, were given 10.67 hours and earned $1.81 daily. Furthermore, $600 a year supported a typical six-member family. In addition, Andrew Carnegie was a pioneer of the vertical integration business technique. Carnegie was in, “control of the production process from raw materials to manufacture and sale of finished product,” (doc 5). In addition, Carnegie’s Steel Company had several mills in and around Pittsburgh that were connected by the Union Railroad Company. Nevertheless, Carnegie’s company supported $600 to a family of six and bought out all his competition as well as provided individuals with jobs. This evidence helps explain why Andrew Carnegie was a hero because he had courage and integrity to provide jobs to his co-workers and support a six-member family per
Steel Company after a serious, bloody union strike.He saw himself as a hero of working people, yet he crushed their unions. The richest man in the world, he railed against privilege. A generous philanthropist, he slashed the wages of the workers who made him rich. By this time, Carnegie was an established, successful millionaire. He was a great philanthropist, donating over $350 million dollars to public causes, opening libraries, money for teachers, and funds to support peace.
Andrew Carnegie, an inventor, philosopher, and entrepreneur, helped create the age of industrialization; also known as the Gilded Age. With his steel, he turned the U.S from an agricultural and commercial nation to an industrial nation. Being one of the forward-thinking men of his time, he helped cities expand bringing urbanization. Although many people consider him a hero, he is considered an antagonist because of his atrocious working conditions coupled with the long hour and the wages. So was he a hero? A hero is generally defined as someone who is admired or idealized usually for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. On the other hand, an anti-hero is someone who lacks the traits of a traditional hero but still has the greater good of the people in mind. Though Carnegie did the best he could for the people of the future, I cannot say the same for the people of his time. Andrew Carnegie is in between a hero and a villain; he is an anti-hero.
Growing up as a young boy in Scotland, Carnegie's family was not very wealthy. They immigrated to America where Carnegie went from working as a bobbin boy, making $1.20 per hour, to making millions of dollars later in his life. Carnegie did not become wealthy by unethical means, as a Robber Baron would. Instead he worked very hard and wise to get to where he was during that time. Andrew Carnegie came from "rags to riches" in his lifetime and it paid off.
People like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan are men who possessed the intellect, the foresight, and most importantly the work ethic to become powerful industrialists. These men displayed their work ethic to the country by being ruthless and tireless. They started something so important that a hundred years later it is still making a huge contribution to our country (Maury Klein pg. 32). What they started was the industrial revolution. Today our country is the most powerful in the world because of our great wealth. This wealth comes from the strength of our industry. “If thou does not sow, thou does not reap”(Hofstadter Recon.-Present Day pg.79). Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Morgan are the epitome of this statement.
Financial success, intelligence, and concern for others are some traits that make Andrew Carnegie a unique hero. Although Andrew Carnegie later on lost public support on his ideas, his appearence of a “hero” to Americans remains because of his impact in “improving the humankind”. Andrew Carnegie and heroism are important today because of his selfless humanity towards the world and business
Carnegie joined Thomas Scott during the civil war and developed a military graphing system. After this he advanced from telegraphy going through railroading and bridge building until he found himself in steelmaking, where he would make his profit. Due to his practical and ambitious ways, Carnegie wanted to dominate the steel industry, leading him to be tyrannical and a dishonest. Carnegie’s talent lied within promoting and selling steel rather than the technical part of steelmaking. Much like Rockefeller, Carnegie was also philanthropic because he gave much of his money away to build libraries, hospitals, parks, etc.
Throughout Carnegies life he struggled to find a balance between two ideals; to make money, and to stand up for the working man. He obviously leaned more towards making money than he did working for labor rights, but Carnegie’s contributions to his community, the United States, and the world can not be understated.
Andrew Carnegie did not seem to care for others because while his workers were losing money, Carnegie was donating money to other countries, and even different organizations. Most of Andrew Carnegie's actions showed greed and pride. Carnegie might have been a hero by giving away most of his money. He still died rich, as he said before “He who dies, rich dies disgraced” Don't be fooled by what others tell you, t ould always be sugarcoated. Not everything we see or hear is true. Carnegie treated most people wrongfully. While he was playing all fun and games, donating to others. Carnegie might have been a hero in the eyes of others, but not everyone sees him the same wa. Don't be
In my opinion Carnegie is a truly a hero. Today we don’t see a lot of men giving their money away when they die. Carnegie did change many lives for the better, and he did help save lives as well. In Document B Carnegie would word how the wealthy would never do anything with their money for the better, he didn’t want to became one of them. Carnegie quote was “ The man who dies rich dies disgraced”, by that he means why would you all that money go to waste, you are going to be died, that money could help save many lives that is why he was one who changed
What makes someone a hero? A hero isn’t a celebrity or someone who can fly, have super speed, or shoot lasers out of their eyes. A hero is just an ordinary citizen that fights to solve a widespread issue in today’s society. A hero is an ordinary individual who rises to the occasion and fights the issues with superhero behavior, without the actual super powers. A hero is someone just similar to everyone else, but when they see a problem they have the bravery to step up and fix it without thinking twice. In the United States, a hero is someone whose character and qualities inspire others to live in life with fulfillment and compassion.