Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie's life has become one of the most famous "rags- to- riches" tales in American history. Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835. After emigrating with his family to the U.S. at age 13, he worked in factories and became a messenger in a telegraph office. His skill in transcribing messages attracted the notice of a Pennsylvania Railroad official, who introduced him to the railroad industry. Carnegie soon found success in this business. However, during the Civil War he became interested in the iron and steel industries. After the war, Carnegie invested all his savings in what would become the first American steel mill; he consolidated the Homestead Steel Company as the Carnegie Steel Company. By using vertical integration, he controlled the steel mills, mines, and railroad enterprises. This company was greatly successful, and in 1901 Carnegie Steel Co. merged with the U.S. Steel Corporation after selling out to J.P. Morgan. This negotiation strategy resulted in Carnegie becoming the wealthiest man in the world. Government policies did not really affect Carnegie's businesses; the purpose of the Sherman Antitrust Act was to destroy monopolies, but the measure was ineffective and evaded by corporations. Andrew Carnegie retired in 1901 from his businesses and became a philanthropist; he donated millions to charities and began over 2,800 libraries.

Western Myth vs. Reality

During the 1870s, the myth of the cowboy fueled Western romanticism and encouraged expansion. Cowboys were idealized as noble men who upheld the virtue of goodness. However, the lives of cattle herders were not pleasant. This job required more physical labor than actual heroic duels or gunfights. In the Western "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", the standoff starring Clint Eastwood is highly dramatized. He is portrayed as a valiant man defending his share of hidden Confederate gold. Again, the reality of being a poorly paid cowboy did not include searching for diversions in the form of buried gold or gunfights.

The reason this particular Western myth lives today is because it is a part of American culture. Towards the end of the 19th century, cities in the East were becoming increasingly industrial. Many people began to look to the West as an untouched land brimming with opportunity. Migration to the West grew because people were eager to begin their own enterprises. As a result, the "natural man", or cowboy, became a symbol of the better life people thought was available in this region.