Andrew Carnegie: A "Captain of Industry" or a "Robber Baron"?

During the nineteenth century, America has emerged from agricultural period to industrialization. Machinery improved and new innovations emerged during industrialization including Thomas Edison and the light bulb. Because of that, we live in the world we know today all high-tech and advanced.

Also during the industrialization period, there were plenty of large companies in America, especially in the East. For instance, a steel company owned by Andrew Carnegie. For many of you who think that Carnegie is like any other owners of the industrial companies, a "robber baron" are not necessary wrong.

For one thing, Carnegie did things that would damage his reputation. He put his steel laborers to work for long hours and low wages. And in the Homestead Strike of 1892, he supported his plant manager, Henry Frick for locking out workers and hiring Pinkerton thugs to suppress the strikes. Sure, he did those things but he has done alot of good deeds as well.

Carnegie is more of a "captain of the industry" than a "robber baron". He preached for the rights of labor unions and to protect their jobs and unlike most industrialists who were greedy; Carnegie believed that the wealthy had an obligation to give back to society. Thus he donated most of his fortunes on the good causes like education and peace. Because of him, 2,500 public libraries were established across the Eastern America and a "place of peace" that would later evolve into the World Court was established. In his later life, he gave away $ 350 million dollars for the good cause!! Who would give away that much money?!!

Today, Andrew Carnegie was known as an industrialist, millionaire and a philanthropist. It was all because he became a powerful businessman and a leading force in the American steel industry that produced more steel than all of England. And because he has done something good for the society when not alot of industrialists did in the nineteenth century despite him oppressing his laborers. Well, everyone has done something good and bad in a lifetime just like Carnegie had.