Was Andrew Carnegie a good man - Research Proposal Example

He also worked with three presidents to create peace. It is important to note that in America a person has to "have money to make money" and having money created opportunity for Carnegie to get into circles that he would have been shut out of in other circumstances. He used his money to fund programs and buildings for the working class because it was his hope to "uplift them"(Krass 55). Carnegie was born in Dumferline Scotland in 1863. He quickly understood the plight of the laborer because his father was one.

His father was a weaver in the linen industry that lost his job when the linen industry upgraded to use machines for weaving and the hand weavers lost their jobs (PBS, par. 2). It is believed by this writer than at that point, Andrew understood that he would need to do something better if he were to help his family. The family left Scotland when Carnegies mother insisted and they moved to Pittsburg, PA in America. Andrew was paid $1.20 a week with 12 hour days to be a "bobbin boy" which meant that he would supply bobbins new bobbins and take away the ones that were full (PBS, par.

6, Krass 29). This was hard work but it gave Andrew an understanding that this wasnt the type of work he wanted. He also received a real taste of poverty which he didnt like. He eventually moved to another bobbin job where he received $2 an hour to do the work and became a major breadwinner for his family (Krass 29). This may have been the place that Andrew learned to control his emotions because he was afraid of the boilers. However, this is also a trait for a good businessman. Carnegie did several things to rise in business.

It seemed that he could look forward and see the bigger picture and he was always open to opportunity. For instance, he walked two miles to Pittsburg with his father to inquire about a job at a Telegraph office. This job was told to him by his uncle. He went and