Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant, embodied the American dream through hard work and dedication. Despite starting from poverty, he became successful by working in various jobs, educating himself, and investing in the Woodruff sleeping car. He eventually opened his own steel mill and grew his own steel company. However, his treatment of workers led to the Homestead Strike of 1892. Carnegie sold his steel company and became the richest person in the U.S. He then focused on philanthropy, donating millions to build libraries, improve education, and promote peace. Welcome to the Weekly Whiteboard, where we talk about historical figures and their impact. We are your hosts, Adeline Krueger and Cole Rankin. In today's episode, we will be talking about Andrew Carnegie. Hey Cole, do you know who Andrew Carnegie was? Yes, I do. Andrew Carnegie was embodiment of the American dream of the idea of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and that everyone can achieve success through hard work and dedication. Andrew Carnegie came to the U.S. as a Scottish immigrant with his mom, dad, and his brother Tom. The family was so poor they had to sell all of their belongings and borrow 20 pounds to afford the 50-day voyage to America on the Wiscasset. At a young age, he was driven to be the best that he could be so he would not end up poor. When he was older, at age 12, Carnegie started working at a cotton factory as a bobbin boy. After that, he also worked in a telegraph office a little while later as a messenger boy. He would also educate himself mainly by reading books in libraries, which would play a big role in his philanthropic actions later in life. His hard work resulted in him having enough money to invest in the Woodruff sleeping car, which was the first railroad car you could sleep in. By age 30, he was earning an annual income of $50,000. By early 1875, he opened his own steel mill called the J. Edgar Thompson Steel Works and grew into his own steel company shortly after. However, due to his desire for wealth, he didn't always treat his workers well. His hard-driving business model employed harsh conditions and low wages for his workers. This would eventually lead to the Homestead Strike of 1892. When his workers went on strike to improve his working conditions and wages, it ended in a fight that killed seven people. Carnegie's life would change in 1901 when he sold his steel company to J.P. Morgan for $480 million, making him the richest person in the United States. He would then decide to use his extreme wealth to improve society. Andrew Carnegie was a big believer in the gospel of wealth, which stated that any man who dies wealthy dies disgraced. He donated a lot of money to focusing on building over 2,600 libraries and improving education and peace initiatives. Overall, Carnegie would dedicate over $350 million to these projects. Thank you for listening to the Weekly Whiteboard Podcast about Andrew Carnegie. Next week, tune back in for another podcast. If you'd like a shout-out on next week's podcast, please email Ms. Matt Barnhart and we will make sure to shout you out next week.