The Success Of Andrew Carnegie's Rise To Power

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“You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he be willing to climb a little himself.” This was Andrew Carnegie’s theory that gave him his rise to power in the late 1800’s as well as his immense wealth. Although a native of Scotland, Carnegie moved to America at age 12 on borrowed money with his mother, father, and younger brother. Throughout his life, he constantly worked hard to provide for his impoverished family, saving money little by little to pay back the money they owed for their voyage to America. At first, Carnegie had a difficult time making enough money, but slowly sought out more and more opportunities for advancement in his career in America. As he moved from squalid basement work spaces to well-furnished offices, Carnegie discovered
Thus, Andrew Carnegie began the “rich-man’s duty” of distributing his wealth throughout the community. Carnegie believed that the wealthy have “a moral obligation to distribute [their money] in ways that promote the welfare and happiness of the common man” and that “the man who [neglects his duty and]dies rich dies disgraced” (history.com). So, Carnegie moved into a six-storied mansion in New York and began the task that lay before him. “I’m not going to grow old piling up, but in distributing” Carnegie said. In 1901, at the time of his retirement, Carnegie possessed $360 million and a determination that his wealth should benefit the “everyman” as well as the rest of the community (Kent). “Of every thousand dollars spent in so-called charity today,” Carnegie theorized, “it is probable that nine hundred and fifty dollars is unwisely spent.” Carnegie purposed to use his money wisely and fix the problems in community
Majority of his donations were in the name of higher education and learning became his motive for giving. He gave superfluous amounts of money to support colleges in Scotland as well as abroad. (philanthropyroundtable.org). Carnegie said his institutions were made “to encourage in the most liberal manner investigations, research and discovery, and the application of knowledge to the improvement of mankind” (Kent). Many institutes were equipped with libraries, music halls, museums, and art departments. Carnegie was also the donator of over 7,600 pipe organs to churches around the world. His appreciation for fine arts and music inspired the creation of Manhattan’s Music Hall, now called Carnegie Hall (history.com). Also because of Carnegie’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge, a bronze sailing ship called the Carnegie was constructed to sail long distances and correct nautical charts and maps. “The Carnegie is going over all the seas year after year putting the world right” Carnegie stated

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