Andrew Carnegie

A man of Scotland, a distinguished man citizen of the United States, and now a philanthropist devoted to the making the world around him a better place, Andrew Carnegie became famous at the turn of the twentieth century and became true rags to riches story.

Carnegie's life Started on "November 25, 1835 in Dunfermiline, Fife Scotland" (Nasaw 36)

Carnegie's Family was poor, but he still grew up in a well cultured and political family. Many of Carnegie's closest Relatives were self educated tradesmen and class activists. William Carnegie although poor had educated himself. William also was politically active and was involved with those organizing demonstration against the Corn Laws, Also he was a chartist. "William Carnegie also wrote articles for the Radical Pamphlet, Cobbett's Register."(qtd. In Nasaw 12)

He wrote about governing safety at work, which were passed many years later in the

Factory acts. He promoted the abolition of all forms of privilege, including all monarchs.

Tom Kennedy was also another influential uncle, was a radical political firebrand. "A person that did not conform to what society's standards in any shape form or fashion."(Nasaw 52)

Andrew Carnegie's mother Margaret mother taught the young Carnegie the frailty that he would one day become famous for later on in life. One day in school he quoted a proverb that his mother had repeated often "Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves" (qtd Nasaw 56) His classmates often laughed at him, unaware that the principal would one day help Andrew Carnegie to become one of the riches men in the world. Mrs. Carnegie Followed her two sisters to Pittsburgher husband took up the grueling factory work with a nearby cotton mill, but he soon quit it to return to his hard room to make to make table clothes that he sold door to door. Mrs. Carnegie once again picking the time his family was still poor. Carnegie found his mother crying about the family's struggle. Andrew, her first son, was born in Scotland in 1835 to the twenty-five year old Margaret. By the mid- 1840's, the family was sliding into object poverty. William, Margaret's husband, was a hand weaver who at the new and improving times started to dramatically lose business due to the new power driven factory looms. The family had to leave their rare house and move back to small quarters. Margaret opened a small food store to add to the family's income.