Andrew Carnegie may be one of the most famous names in American history, and his story is nothing short of an inspiration. An immigrant born in Scotland, Carnegie immigrated to the U.S. and became one of the richest industrialists of his day. This biographical text explores Carnegie’s fascinating life and his contributions to the steel industry. Through age-appropriate language and historical photos, readers learn how Carnegie’s entrepreneurial spirit and philanthropic nature helped shaped nineteenth-century American industry and the spirit that came to define it. A timeline and primary sources complete this comprehensive learning experience.

Andrew Carnegie may be one of the most famous names in American history, and his story is nothing short of an inspiration. An immigrant born in Scotland, Carnegie immigrated to the U.S. and became one of the richest industrialists of his day. This biographical text explores Carnegie’s fascinating life and his contributions to the steel industry. Through age-appropriate language and historical photos, readers learn how Carnegie’s entrepreneurial spirit and philanthropic nature helped shaped nineteenth-century American industry and the spirit that came to define it. A timeline and primary sources complete this comprehensive learning experience.

A brief biography of the Scottish immigrant who made a fortune in the steel industry and used much of it for philanthropic causes.

Andrew Carnegie was a leading industrialist who used his fortune to create a legacy of philanthropy and peace advocacy. This biography examines his rise from a poverty-stricken childhood to a position of international leadership.

Before the 99% occupied Wall Street... Before the concept of social justice had impinged on the social conscience... Before the social safety net had even been conceived... By the turn of the 20th Century, the era of the robber barons, Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) had already accumulated a staggeringly large fortune; he was one of the wealthiest people on the globe. He guaranteed his position as one of the wealthiest men ever when he sold his steel business to create the United States Steel Corporation. Following that sale, he spent his last 18 years, he gave away nearly 90% of his fortune to charities, foundations, and universities. His charitable efforts actually started far earlier. At the age of 33, he wrote a memo to himself, noting ..".The amassing of wealth is one of the worse species of idolatry. No idol more debasing than the worship of money." In 1881, he gave a library to his hometown of Dunfermline, Scotland. In 1889, he spelled out his belief that the rich should use their wealth to help enrich society, in an article called "The Gospel of Wealth" this book. Carnegie writes that the best way of dealing with wealth inequality is for the wealthy to redistribute their surplus means in a responsible and thoughtful manner, arguing that surplus wealth produces the greatest net benefit to society when it is administered carefully by the wealthy. He also argues against extravagance, irresponsible spending, or self-indulgence, instead promoting the administration of capital during one's lifetime toward the cause of reducing the stratification between the rich and poor. Though written more than a century ago, Carnegie's words still ring true today, urging a better, more equitable world through greater social consciousness.

Despite being geographically cut off from large trade centers and important natural resources, Pittsburgh transformed itself into the most formidable steel-making center in the world. Beginning in the 1870s, under the engineering genius of magnates such as Andrew Carnegie, steel-makers capitalized on western Pennsylvania’s rich supply of high-quality coal and powerful rivers to create an efficient industry unparalleled throughout history. In City of Steel, Ken Kobus explores the evolution of the steel industry to celebrate the innovation and technology that created and sustained Pittsburgh’s steel boom. Focusing on the Carnegie Steel Company’s success as leader of the region’s steel-makers, Kobus goes inside the science of steel-making to investigate the technological advancements that fueled the industry’s success. City of Steel showcases how through ingenuity and determination Pittsburgh’s steel-makers transformed western Pennsylvania and forever changed the face of American industry and business.