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Andrew Carnegie Facts & Worksheets

Andrew Carnegie was an industrialist and philanthropist who immigrated to the U.S. from Scotland.

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Andrew Carnegie was an industrialist and philanthropist who immigrated to the U.S. from Scotland. Throughout the late 19th century, Carnegie led the growth of American steel production and became one of the wealthiest Americans in history.

See the fact file below for more information on the Andrew Carnegie or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Andrew Carnegie worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE

  • Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, on the 25th of November 1835. He was a Scottish-born American industrialist who led the rapid expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century. Also, he was one of his era’s most prominent philanthropists.
  • Carnegie grew up in a family that believed books and learning were important. Carnegie, the son of a hand loom weaver, grew up to become one of America’s richest businessmen.
  • Carnegie and his family moved to the United States in 1848, when he was 13. They settled in a factory in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, and Carnegie went to work, receiving $1.20 a week.
  • He found a job the next year as a telegraph messenger. In 1851, he moved up to a role of telegraph operator in hopes of advancing his career.

CARNEGIE STEEL COMPANY

  • Carnegie started making investments while working for the railroad.
  • Later, he found that his investments, especially those in oil, brought significant returns.
  • In 1865, he left the railroad to focus on his other business ventures, including the Keystone Bridge Company.
  • Most of Carnegie’s time for the next decade was dedicated to the steel industry. His corporation, which became known as the Carnegie Steel Company, revolutionized United States steel production.
  • Carnegie built plants all over the country, using technology and methods to make steel production simpler, faster, and more competitive. He owned exactly what he needed for each phase of the process: the raw materials, ships, railroads to carry the goods, and even coal fields to fuel the steel furnaces.
  • This start-to-finish strategy enabled Carnegie to become the industry’s dominant power and an extremely wealthy man. It also made him known as one of the “builders” of America, as his company helped boost the economy and turn the nation into what it is today. By 1889, the Carnegie Steel Company was the largest of its kind in the world.
  • Some felt the success of the company had come at the detriment of its workers. The most notable case of this sentiment came in 1892. The employees protested when the company was attempting to reduce salaries at a Carnegie Steel plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania.
  • They refused to work, starting what became known as the 1892 Homestead Strike. When the managers called in guards to break up the union, the confrontation between employees and local managers turned violent. Though Carnegie was away at the time of the strike, many still held him responsible for the actions of its managers.

PHILANTHROPIST

  • Carnegie made a dramatic change to his life in 1901. He sold his company to the United States Steel Corporation, founded by legendary financier J.P. Morgan, and received more than $200 million from the deal.
  • At the age of 65, Carnegie decided that he would spend the rest of his days helping others. While he had started his philanthropic work years earlier by building libraries and making donations, in the early 20th century, Carnegie expanded his efforts.
  • Carnegie, an avid reader for much of his life, contributed around $5 million to the New York Public Library so that the library would be able to open more branches.
  • Devoted to study, he set up the Pittsburgh Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1904, now known as Carnegie-Mellon University.
  • The following year, in 1905, he founded the Carnegie Foundation for Teaching Advancement.
  • He also founded the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in 1910, with a deep interest in peace.
  • He made several other donations, and with his support, it is said that over 2,800 libraries have been opened.
  • Carnegie enjoyed traveling, as well as meeting and entertaining leading figures in many fields in addition to his business and charitable interests. He and Matthew Arnold, Mark Twain, William Gladstone, and Theodore Roosevelt were friends.
  • In addition, Carnegie published many books and countless articles. His 1889 article entitled “Wealth” summarized his belief that those with great wealth should be socially responsible and use their riches to support others. His 1900 book, The Gospel of Wealth, was later published.

DEATH

  • Carnegie died of bronchial pneumonia on August 11, 1919, at his Shadow Brook estate in Lenox, Massachusetts. He had already given away his wealth of $350,695,653 (about $76.9 billion, adjusted to 2015 GDP figures). His last $30,000,000 was donated to foundations, hospitals, and pensioners after his death.
  • He was buried in New York’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. The grave site is located on the land plot of Arcadia Hebron at the intersection of Summit Avenue and Dingle Street.
  • Carnegie is buried only a few feet from the union leader, Samuel Gompers, another significant figure in the Gilded Age.

Andrew Carnegie Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Andrew Carnegie across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Andrew Carnegie worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Andrew Carnegie who was an industrialist and philanthropist who immigrated to the U.S. from Scotland. Throughout the late 19th century, Carnegie led the growth of American steel production and became one of the wealthiest Americans in history.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Andrew Carnegie Facts
  • History Timeline
  • Biographical Profile
  • A.C. Works
  • Good or Trash
  • Wow Comics
  • Carnegie IG
  • Richest Philanthropist
  • 4 Pics 1 Word
  • Electronic Business
  • Last Will

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Use With Any Curriculum

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