Andrew Carnegie on the Gospel of Wealth

A detailed Summary of Andrew Carnegie on the Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie on the Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1835. His father, Will, was a weaver and a follower of Chartism, a popular movement of the British working class that called for the masses to vote and to run for Parliament in order to help improve conditions for workers. The exposure to such political beliefs and his family's poverty made a lasting impression on young Andrew and played a significant role in his life after his family immigrated to the United States in 1848. Andrew Carnegie amassed wealth in the steel industry after immigrating from Scotland as a boy. He came from a poor family and had little formal education. The roots of Carnegie's internal conflicts were planted in Dunfermline, Scotland, where he was born in 1835, the son of a weaver and political radical who instilled in young Andrew the values of political and economic equality. His family's poverty, however, taught Carnegie a different lesson. When the Carnegies emigrated to America in 1848, Carnegie determined to bring prosperity to his family. He worked many small jobs which included working for the Pennsylvania Railroad where he first recognized the importance of steel. With this recognition, he resigned and start

One other way Carnegie suggests the money could be distributed would be to donate it to public services. This is the one he personally chose because it serves the most good to most amount of people possible. It is therefore not detrimental to the value of money to others, and is enjoyed by he who earned it - a very fair way of disposal. The objective, however, he wished to achieve may not be achieved after he's gone because he can't oversee the operation of the distribution, and there's nothing he could do about it then. Taxing the hoards of wealth obtained by a recently deceased man is a great way of giving back to the community what was taken over the years. It also condemns the lifestyle of the "selfish millionaire's unworthy life." This helps make men deal with the distribution of their money while they're still alive, with the intent that the best possible solution would be achieved and finding the way that would be "most fruitful for the people." There is only one solution which pleases both rich and poor and works out best for everyone. This idea differs from communistic ideals of spreading wealth evenly throughout, at all times, and doesn't require an overthrow of the government, rather an "evolution of existing conditions." The idea is that each individual work for himself in attaining wealth (as in the concept of laissez-faire); each man fighting for his place, creating competition. In the end, there will still be a concentration of wealth in a few, but they will spread their wealth to the masses through public services, thus benefiting all, instead of money coming to all people in small increments as suggested by communistic ideas. This appealed to the people especially in the concept of anti-communism sprinkled in Carnegie's document. This also gives concrete evidence proving U.S. sup

Some common words found in the essay are:
Steel Company, Dunfermline Scotland, Andrew Carnegie, Bridge Company, Pennsylvania Railroad, andrew carnegie, steel company, dunfermline scotland, amount people, rich poor, family's poverty, public services,

Approximate Word count = 1218
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History