Misplaced Pages

#986013

100-563: The Celebration was created and organized by the Celebration Commission, consisting of a large group of wealthy and influential New Yorkers, such as J. P. Morgan , Andrew Carnegie , and others. The commission, over the course of its long planning period (from 1905 to 1909), established dozens of committees to oversee every detail of the event, from the Celebration's official symbols to the role of New York's children. Electricity played

200-485: A " self-made man " in both his economic development and his intellectual and cultural development. He was so grateful to Colonel Anderson for the use of his library that he "resolved, if ever wealth came to me, [to see to it] that other poor boys might receive opportunities similar to those for which we were indebted to the nobleman". His capacity, his willingness for hard work, his perseverance, and his alertness soon brought him opportunities. Starting in 1853, when Carnegie

300-538: A $ 600 mortgage on the family's $ 700 home, but the opportunity was available only because of Carnegie's close relationship with Scott. A few years later, he received a few shares in Theodore Tuttle Woodruff 's sleeping car company as a reward for holding shares that Woodruff had given to Scott and Thomson, as a payoff. Reinvesting his returns in such inside investments in railroad-related industries (iron, bridges, and rails ), Carnegie slowly accumulated capital,

400-698: A bond salesman, raising money for American enterprise in Europe. He built Pittsburgh's Carnegie Steel Company , which he sold to J. P. Morgan in 1901 for $ 303,450,000 (equal to $ 11,113,550,000 today); it formed the basis of the U.S. Steel Corporation . After selling Carnegie Steel, he surpassed John D. Rockefeller as the richest American of the time. Carnegie devoted the remainder of his life to large-scale philanthropy, with special emphasis on building local libraries , working for world peace, education, and scientific research. He funded Carnegie Hall in New York City,

500-528: A canoe and a steamboat, a wigwam and a skyscraper, and the Statue of Liberty. The Carnival Parade was held later in the week, on the evening of October 2, 1909. It traversed the same route as the Historical Parade. The Carnival Pageant illustrated the great body of Old World folklore that has inspired so much of the beautiful imagery of the poetry, song and drama of all civilized nations. Unlike its sister event,

600-477: A contemporaneous depiction of Brother Jonathan looks more like the modern version of Uncle Sam, though without a goatee . An 1893 article in The Lutheran Witness claims Uncle Sam was simply another name for Brother Jonathan : When we meet him in politics we call him Uncle Sam; when we meet him in society we call him Brother Jonathan . Here of late Uncle Sam alias Brother Jonathan has been doing

700-524: A cosmopolis as displayed on the iconic Fifth Avenue . History and culture were present in the dozens of museum exhibitions designed specifically for the event to attract tourists from Europe and other parts of the United States. As the Carnival Parade's floats and marchers moved down Fifth Avenue, spectators looked on in awe. They memorialized their visit to New York with postcards from the Celebration,

800-569: A float upon which a bust of the composer was crowned by "Fame", and surrounded by dancing "Muses". But the themes were also represented through mythology. Floats illustrated tales from the Bible, a Queen of Sheba float; from German folklore, floats of Lorelei , the Death of Fafner , and so on; from classical mythology, floats of Medusa and Diana ; from fairytales, a fairies float and a Cinderella float; from Egyptian customs, and so on. The culture represented

900-511: A footnote defining Uncle Sam as "a cant term in the army for the United States ." Presumably, it came from the abbreviation of the United States of America: U.S. The precise origin of the Uncle Sam character is unclear, but a popular legend is that the name "Uncle Sam" was derived from Samuel Wilson , a meatpacker from Troy, New York , who supplied rations for American soldiers during

1000-501: A hobby that consumed America and bolstered the importance and economic development of the America's postal service. The post office of New York, as well as the city's transportation system, were integral to the success of the 1909 Celebration, as they served to connect the vast American continent and spread awareness of both the event and the city. This momentous occasion was much more than the commemoration of Henry Hudson and Robert Fulton – it

1100-539: A major role in the celebration, as ships and memorials were illuminated over the course of the two-week celebration. The illumination of the naval fleet on September 25 was followed by a display of fireworks in the evening that reflected off the Hudson River. These fireworks were shot over the naval fleet from the Jersey Shore, so that they could be seen from Riverside Park. The Committee commissioned one company to regulate

SECTION 10

#1733085016987

1200-485: A million New Yorkers to see their first airplane flight. Glenn Curtiss also appeared, but made only very brief flights, preferring not to challenge the windy conditions. Although Hudson, Fulton, and their achievements were the foundation of the Celebration, the commission also aimed to emphasize the history of New York City and State, from the Native American communities to the metropolitan city of 1909. This narrative

1300-483: A philanthropist. From 1901 forward, public attention was turned from the shrewd business acumen which had enabled Carnegie to accumulate such a fortune, to the public-spirited way in which he devoted himself to using it on philanthropic projects. He had written about his views on social subjects and the responsibilities of great wealth in Triumphant Democracy (1886) and Gospel of Wealth (1889). Carnegie devoted

1400-472: A point of naming it after Thomson. As well as having good business sense, Carnegie possessed charm and literary knowledge. He was invited to many important social functions, which Carnegie exploited to his advantage. Carnegie, through Keystone, supplied the steel for and owned shares in the landmark Eads Bridge project across the Mississippi River at St. Louis , Missouri (completed 1874). This project

1500-496: A powerful lot of complaining, hardly doing anything else. [ sic ] Uncle Sam did not get a standard appearance, even with the effective abandonment of Brother Jonathan near the end of the American Civil War , until the well-known recruitment image of Uncle Sam was first created by James Montgomery Flagg during World War I . The image was inspired by a British recruitment poster showing Lord Kitchener in

1600-512: A public library; in 1886, he gave $ 250,000 to Allegheny City, Pennsylvania , for a music hall and library; and he gave $ 250,000 to Edinburgh for a free library. In total, Carnegie funded some 3,000 libraries, located in 47 U.S. states, and also in Canada, Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Serbia, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the West Indies , and Fiji . He also donated £50,000 to help set up

1700-675: A regular contributor to numerous magazines, most notably The Nineteenth Century , under the editorship of James Knowles , and the influential North American Review , led by the editor Lloyd Bryce . In 1889, Carnegie published "Wealth" in the June issue of the North American Review . After reading it, Gladstone requested its publication in Britain, where it appeared as "The Gospel of Wealth" in The Pall Mall Gazette . Carnegie argued that

1800-565: A revisionist history movement known as " Holland Mania" sweeping the country, drawing on the writings of John Lothrop Motley . This was made manifest in New York by the creation of the Holland Society of New York , an exclusive club aiming to underscore the Dutch presence in New York, from Dutch values such as religious tolerance to the importance of education. Education remained important in 1909, and

1900-444: A similar pose. It is this image more than any other that has influenced the modern appearance of Uncle Sam: an elderly white man with white hair and a goatee , wearing a white top hat with white stars on a blue band, a blue tail coat , and red-and-white-striped trousers. Flagg's depiction of Uncle Sam was shown publicly for the first time, according to some, on the cover of the magazine Leslie's Weekly on July 6, 1916, with

2000-590: A special vault was built to house the physical bulk of nearly $ 230 million worth of bonds. Carnegie continued his business career; some of his literary intentions were fulfilled. He befriended the English poet Matthew Arnold , the English philosopher Herbert Spencer , and the American humorist Mark Twain , as well as being in correspondence and acquaintance with most of the U.S. Presidents , statesmen, and notable writers. Carnegie constructed commodious swimming-baths for

2100-588: A steel rolling mill , and steel production and control of industry became the source of his fortune. Carnegie had some investments in the iron industry before the war. After the war, Carnegie left the railroads to devote his energies to the ironworks trade. Carnegie worked to develop several ironworks, eventually forming the Keystone Bridge Works and the Union Ironworks, in Pittsburgh. Although he had left

SECTION 20

#1733085016987

2200-547: A substantial breadwinner. But Carnegie attracted the attention of John Hay, a Scottish manufacturer of bobbins, who offered him a job for $ 2.00 per week ($ 70 by 2023 inflation). In his autobiography, Carnegie writes about the hardships he had to endure with this new job: Soon after this Mr. John Hay, a fellow Scotch manufacturer of bobbins in Allegheny City, needed a boy, and asked whether I would not go into his service. I went, and received two dollars per week; but at first

2300-521: A success and a source of profit for Woodruff and Carnegie. The young Carnegie continued to work for Pennsylvania's Tom Scott and introduced several improvements in the service. In the spring of 1861, Carnegie was appointed by Scott, who was now Assistant Secretary of War in charge of military transportation, as Superintendent of the Military Railways and the Union Government's telegraph lines in

2400-460: A thorough education, making the acquaintance of literary men. I figure that this will take three years' active work. I shall pay especial attention to speaking in public. We can settle in London and I can purchase a controlling interest in some newspaper or live review and give the general management of it attention, taking part in public matters, especially those connected with education and improvement of

2500-499: A trip to the United Kingdom. They toured Scotland by coach and enjoyed several receptions en route. The highlight was a return to Dunfermline, where Carnegie's mother laid the foundation stone of a Carnegie Library which he funded. Carnegie's criticism of British society did not mean dislike; on the contrary, one of Carnegie's ambitions was to act as a catalyst for a close association between English-speaking peoples. To this end, in

2600-487: A typical weaver's cottage with only one main room. It consisted of half the ground floor, which was shared with the neighboring weaver's family. The main room served as a living room, dining room and bedroom. He was named after his paternal grandfather. William Carnegie had a successful weaving business and owned multiple looms. In 1836, the family moved to a larger house in Edgar Street (opposite Reid's Park), following

2700-506: A visual education to the city's diverse population and visitors, and the carnival parades conveyed the city's culture. The planning and design of the parades began two years prior with float designs developed by New Orleans-based artist Bror Anders Wikström and direction from A. H. Stoddard, who was captain of the Rex Mardis Gras krewe's parades. The parade consisted of fifty-four floats divided into four divisions, which constituted

2800-481: Is obscure. The first reference to Uncle Sam in formal literature (as distinct from newspapers) was in the 1816 allegorical book The Adventures of Uncle Sam, in Search After His Lost Honor . While the figure of Uncle Sam specifically represents the government , the female figure of Columbia represents the United States as a nation. An archaic character, Brother Jonathan , was known to represent

2900-605: The Carnegie Institution at Washington, D.C., to encourage research and discovery. He later contributed more to these and other schools. CIT is now known as Carnegie Mellon University after it merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research . Carnegie also served on the Boards of Cornell University and Stevens Institute of Technology . In 1911, Carnegie became a sympathetic benefactor to George Ellery Hale , who

3000-768: The Peace Palace in The Hague , founded the Carnegie Corporation of New York , Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , Carnegie Institution for Science , Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland , Carnegie Hero Fund , Carnegie Mellon University , and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh , among others. Andrew Carnegie was born to Margaret (Morrison) Carnegie and William Carnegie in Dunfermline , Scotland, in

3100-669: The Philippines . Carnegie strongly opposed the idea of American colonies. He opposed the annexation of the Philippines almost to the point of supporting William Jennings Bryan against McKinley in 1900. In 1898, Carnegie tried to arrange independence for the Philippines. As the conclusion of the Spanish–American War neared, the United States purchased the Philippines from Spain for $ 20 million. To counter what he perceived as American imperialism , Carnegie personally offered $ 20 million to

Hudson–Fulton Celebration - Misplaced Pages Continue

3200-453: The US Navy ) states: weighed anchor stood down the harbor, passed Sandy Hook , where there are two light-houses, and put to sea, first and the second day out most deadly seasick, oh could I have got onshore in the hight [ sic ] of it, I swear that uncle Sam, as they call him, would certainly forever have lost the services of at least one sailor. An 1810 edition of Niles' Weekly Register has

3300-732: The United States Steel Corporation . It was the first corporation in the world with a market capitalization of over $ 1 billion. The buyout, secretly negotiated by Charles M. Schwab (no relation to Charles R. Schwab ), was the largest such industrial takeover in United States history to date. The holdings were incorporated in the United States Steel Corporation, a trust organized by Morgan, and Carnegie retired from business. His steel enterprises were bought out for $ 303,450,000. Carnegie's share of this amounted to $ 225.64 million (in 2023, $ 8.26 billion), which

3400-473: The University of Birmingham in 1899. As Van Slyck (1991) showed, during the last years of the 19th century, there was the increasing adoption of the idea that free libraries should be available to the American public. But the design of such libraries was the subject of prolonged and heated debate. On one hand, the library profession called for designs that supported efficiency in administration and operation; on

3500-637: The "periods" of New York history up to 1909—the Indian Period, the Dutch Period, the English or Colonial Period, and the American or United States Period, also referred to as the Modern Period. An enormous float preceded all four divisions—this was the title car for the event as a whole. This massive introduction to the parade's theme depicted "The History of the Empire State", and included, among other things,

3600-446: The 1825 novel Brother Jonathan by John Neal . Uncle Sam finally appeared after the War of 1812 . Columbia appeared with either Brother Jonathan or Uncle Sam, but her use declined as a national person in favor of Liberty, and she was effectively abandoned once she became the mascot of Columbia Pictures in the 1920s. A March 24, 1810, journal entry by Isaac Mayo (a midshipman in

3700-510: The American populace. The earliest known personification of the United States was as a woman named Columbia , who first appeared in 1738 ( pre-US ) and sometimes was associated with another female personification, Lady Liberty . With the American Revolutionary War of 1775 came Brother Jonathan , a male personification. Brother Jonathan saw full literary development into the personification of American national character through

3800-413: The Celebration's military parade on Manhattan Island showcased American national identity and pride while simultaneously promoting international peace. The celebration also was a display of the different modes of transportation then in existence. The famous RMS Lusitania represented the newest advancement in steamship technology at the time and was likewise put on display in 1909, only six years before it

3900-553: The Celebration, in the many dedications of monuments which occurred over the course of the festivities. These monuments promoted the history of the city, and provided, like the Historical Parade, a visual history lesson for New Yorkers. Similar to the Progressives’ City Beautiful Movement, these memorials hoped to develop a unified civic identity for the diverse inhabitants of New York City. To express New York's civic identity and its emerging cultural preeminence,

4000-525: The Columbia Oil Company in Venango County, Pennsylvania . In one year, the firm yielded over $ 1 million in cash dividends, and petroleum from oil wells on the property sold profitably. The demand for iron products, such as armor for gunboats, cannons, and shells, as well as a hundred other industrial products, made Pittsburgh a center of wartime production. Carnegie worked with others in establishing

4100-511: The Commission organized a Carnival Parade. Its floats displayed the music, art, and literature of the Old World , in an attempt to link New York to London, Paris, and other European metropolises . This event was a night celebration which illuminated New York, creating an exciting and festive atmosphere. The cultural refinement displayed in the Carnival Parade was an example of New York's status as

Hudson–Fulton Celebration - Misplaced Pages Continue

4200-518: The East. Carnegie helped open the rail lines into Washington D.C. that the rebels had cut; he rode the locomotive pulling the first brigade of Union troops to reach Washington D.C. Following the defeat of Union forces at Bull Run , he personally supervised the transportation of the defeated forces. Under his organization, the telegraph service rendered efficient service to the Union cause and significantly assisted in

4300-815: The Hartman Steel Works, the Frick Coke Company, and the Scotia ore mines. Carnegie combined his assets and those of his associates in 1892 with the launching of the Carnegie Steel Company . Carnegie's success was also due to his relationship with the railroad industries, which not only relied on steel for track, but were also making money from steel transport. The steel and railroad barons worked closely to negotiate prices instead of allowing free-market competition. Besides Carnegie's market manipulation, United States trade tariffs were also working in favor of

4400-531: The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, he remained connected to its management, namely Thomas A. Scott and J. Edgar Thomson. He used his connection to the two men to acquire contracts for his Keystone Bridge Company and the rails produced by his ironworks . He also gave stock in his businesses to Scott and Thomson, and the Pennsylvania was his best customer. When he built his first steel plant, he made

4500-470: The Pennsylvania Railroad would be vital to his later success. The railroads were the first big businesses in America, and the Pennsylvania was one of the largest. Carnegie learned much about management and cost control during these years, and from Scott in particular. Scott also helped him with his first investments. Many of these were part of the corruption indulged in by Scott and the president of

4600-472: The Pennsylvania Railroad, John Edgar Thomson , which consisted of inside trading in companies with which the railroad did business, or payoffs made by contracting parties "as part of a quid pro quo ". In 1855, Scott made it possible for Carnegie to invest $ 500 in the Adams Express Company , which contracted with the Pennsylvania to carry its messengers. The money was secured by his mother's placing of

4700-695: The Philippines so that the Filipino people could purchase their independence from the United States. However, nothing came of the offer. In 1898 Carnegie joined the American Anti-Imperialist League , in opposition to the U.S. annexation of the Philippines. Its membership included former presidents of the United States Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison and literary figures such as Mark Twain . Carnegie spent his last years as

4800-825: The U.S. output of steel exceeded that of the UK, and Carnegie owned a large part of it. Carnegie's empire grew to include the J. Edgar Thomson Steel Works in Braddock (named for John Edgar Thomson , Carnegie's former boss and president of the Pennsylvania Railroad), the Pittsburgh Bessemer Steel Works, the Lucy Furnaces , the Union Iron Mills, the Union Mill (Wilson, Walker & County), the Keystone Bridge Works,

4900-493: The United States in 1848 for the prospect of a better life. They headed to Allegheny, Pennsylvania , where they heard there was a demand for workers. Carnegie's emigration to America was his second journey outside Dunfermline. The first was a family outing to Edinburgh to see Queen Victoria . In September 1848, Carnegie and his family arrived in Allegheny. Carnegie's father struggled to sell his product on his own. Eventually,

5000-461: The United States. When Carnegie was 12, his father had fallen on tough times as a handloom weaver. Making matters worse, the country was in starvation. His mother helped support the family by assisting her brother and by selling potted meats at her "sweetie shop", becoming the primary breadwinner. Struggling to make ends meet, the Carnegies decided to borrow money from George Lauder, Sr. and move to

5100-486: The United States. One of his two great innovations was in the cheap and efficient mass production of steel by adopting and adapting the Bessemer process , which allowed the high carbon content of pig iron to be burnt away in a controlled and rapid way during steel production . Steel prices dropped as a result, and Bessemer steel was rapidly adopted for rails; however, it was not suitable for buildings and bridges. The second

SECTION 50

#1733085016987

5200-468: The War of 1812. There was a requirement at the time for contractors to stamp their name and where the rations came from onto the food they were sending. Wilson's packages were labeled "E.A.—U.S." When someone asked what that stood for, a co-worker jokingly said, "Elbert Anderson [the contractor] and Uncle Sam," referring to Wilson, though the U.S. actually stood for "United States". Doubts have been raised as to

5300-511: The Western Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad. On December 1, 1859, Carnegie officially became superintendent of the Western Division. He hired his sixteen-year-old brother Tom to be his personal secretary and telegraph operator. Carnegie also hired his cousin, Maria Hogan, who became the first female telegraph operator in the country. As superintendent, Carnegie made a salary of $ 1500 a year ($ 51,000 by 2023 inflation). His employment by

5400-403: The authenticity of this story, as the claim did not appear in print until 1842. Additionally, the earliest known mention definitely referring to the metaphorical Uncle Sam is from 1810, predating Wilson's contract with the government. In 1835, Brother Jonathan made a reference to Uncle Sam, implying that they symbolized different things: Brother Jonathan was the country itself, while Uncle Sam

5500-525: The basis for his later success. Throughout his later career, he made use of his close connections to Thomson and Scott, as he established businesses that supplied rails and bridges to the railroad, offering the two men stakes in his enterprises. Before the American Civil War , Carnegie arranged a merger between Woodruff's company and that of George Pullman , the inventor of the sleeping car for first-class travel , which facilitated business travel at distances over 500 miles (800 km). The investment proved

5600-581: The caption "What Are You Doing for Preparedness?" More than four million copies of this image were printed between 1917 and 1918. Flagg's image was also used extensively during World War II , during which the US was codenamed "Samland" by the German intelligence agency Abwehr . The term was central in the song " The Yankee Doodle Boy ", which was featured in 1942 in the musical Yankee Doodle Dandy . There are two memorials to Uncle Sam, both of which commemorate

5700-569: The celebration; in addition to the town halls and bridges, these lights also illuminated the Statue of Liberty , Grant's Tomb , Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument , the Washington Arch , and some museums, like the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences . A diversity of light was used to electrify the city. For the Celebration alone, 500,000 incandescent light bulbs were installed, in addition to

5800-425: The civic lessons taught in Lower East Side settlement houses. The Hudson–Fulton Celebration of 1909 was linked to several reform movements sweeping New York City, in addition to Progressivism . These included the Conservation and Preservation movements, which led to the creation of the Historical Preservation Society. This organization worked to restore and establish landmarks and parks; these goals would be seen in

5900-543: The demand for more heavy damask , from which his father benefited. Carnegie was educated at the Free School in Dunfermline, a gift to the town from philanthropist Adam Rolland of Gask. Carnegie's maternal uncle, Scottish political leader George Lauder Sr. , deeply influenced him as a boy by introducing him to Robert Burns ' writings and historical Scottish heroes such as Robert the Bruce , William Wallace , and Rob Roy . Lauder's son, also named George Lauder , grew up with Carnegie and later became his business partner in

6000-412: The different sounds the incoming telegraph signals produced. He developed the ability to translate signals by ear, without using the paper slip. Within a year he was promoted to an operator. Carnegie's education and passion for reading were given a boost by Colonel James Anderson , who opened his personal library of 400 volumes to working boys each Saturday night. Carnegie was a consistent borrower and

6100-454: The early 1880s in partnership with Samuel Storey , he purchased numerous newspapers in Britain, all of which were to advocate the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of "the British Republic". Carnegie's charm, aided by his wealth, afforded him many British friends, including Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone . In 1886, Carnegie's younger brother Thomas died at age 43. While owning steel works, Carnegie had purchased at low cost

SECTION 60

#1733085016987

6200-445: The early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a manifestation of patriotic emotion. Uncle Sam has also developed notoriety for his appearance in military propaganda , popularized by a 1917 World War I recruiting poster by J. M. Flagg . According to legend, the character came into use during the War of 1812 and may have been named for Samuel Wilson . The actual origin

6300-467: The establishment of public libraries throughout the United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and mostly other English-speaking countries was especially prominent. In this special driving interest of his, Carnegie was inspired by meetings with philanthropist Enoch Pratt (1808–1896). The Enoch Pratt Free Library (1886) of Baltimore, Maryland , impressed Carnegie deeply; he said, "Pratt was my guide and inspiration." Carnegie turned over management of

6400-411: The eventual victory. Carnegie later joked that he was "the first casualty of the war" when he gained a scar on his cheek from freeing a trapped telegraph wire. The defeat of the Confederacy required vast supplies of munitions , railroads and telegraph lines to deliver the goods. The war demonstrated how integral the industries were to Union success. In 1864, Carnegie was one of the early investors in

6500-419: The father and son both received job offers at Anchor Cotton Mills, a Scottish-owned facility. Carnegie's first job in 1848 was as a bobbin boy , changing spools of thread in a cotton mill 12 hours a day, 6 days a week in a Pittsburgh cotton factory. His starting wage was $ 1.20 per week ($ 42 by 2023 inflation). His father soon quit his position at the cotton mill, returning to his loom, and was again removed as

6600-408: The fireworks; this would not only ensure a uniform display across the State but also, because the company could set off the fireworks in rapid succession, invoke historic memory of the signal fires that Hudson used to navigate along the coast. The Commission allocated $ 83,000 from its budget of $ 934,447 for a total of 107,152 illuminations, including various types of lights and fireworks, installed for

6700-406: The floats, but it is difficult to evaluate the popular response to these intended lessons. Regardless of whether they understood the commission's messages, the audience enjoyed both parades. The crowd itself, delighting in its city, may in fact have been the more important spectacle in New York's history than the massive floats that depicted it. One way the memories of Hudson and Fulton were honored

6800-464: The historical parade, the carnival parade was not divided up into divisions. It did, however, have a grand title car – a dragon spouting flames and carrying a scroll bearing the theme of the parade – "Music, Literature, and Art". The following forty-nine floats proceeded to illustrate what was suggested in the title. There were several straight allegorical floats, portraying "colors", "peace", and "song", and depicting scenes like "The Crowning of Beethoven",

6900-422: The library project by 1908 to his staff, led by James Bertram (1874–1934). The first Carnegie Library opened in 1883 in Dunfermline. His method was to provide funds to build and equip the library, but only on the condition that the local authority matched that by providing the land and a budget for operation and maintenance. To secure local interest, in 1885, he gave $ 500,000 to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , for

7000-640: The life of Samuel Wilson: the Uncle Sam Memorial Statue in Arlington, Massachusetts , his birthplace; and a memorial near his long-term residence in Riverfront Park, Troy, New York . Wilson's boyhood home can still be visited in Mason, New Hampshire . Samuel Wilson died on July 31, 1854, aged 87, and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery , Troy, New York. In 1976, Uncle Sam was depicted in " Our Nation's 200th Birthday , The Telephone's 100th Birthday " by Stanley Meltzoff for Bell System . In 1989, "Uncle Sam Day" became official. A Congressional joint resolution designated September 13, 1989, as "Uncle Sam Day",

7100-465: The life of a wealthy industrialist should comprise two parts. The first part was the gathering and the accumulation of wealth. The second part was for the subsequent distribution of this wealth to benevolent causes. Philanthropy was key to making life worthwhile. Carnegie was a well-regarded writer. He published three books on travel. In the aftermath of the Spanish–American War , the United States seemed poised to annex Cuba , Guam , Puerto Rico and

7200-404: The most valuable of the iron ore fields around Lake Superior . Following his tour of the UK, he wrote about his experiences in a book entitled An American Four-in-hand in Britain . In 1886, Carnegie wrote his most radical work to date, entitled Triumphant Democracy . Liberal in its use of statistics to make its arguments, the book argued his view that the American republican system of government

7300-404: The old land some part of the debt we owe them by revealing more clearly than ever to them the new heavens." The telescope saw first light on November 2, 1917, with Carnegie still alive. Uncle Sam Uncle Sam (which has the same initials U.S. as United States ) is a common national personification of the federal government of the United States or the country in general . Since

7400-403: The other 500,000 incandescent lights already in use around the state. 3,000 Flare arcs and 7,000 arc lights were used, as well, in addition to searchlights , which lit Grant's Tomb and the Statue of Liberty. Washington Arch and its surrounding streets were festooned with lights. The historical and carnival parades took place between September 25 and October 9, 1909. The historical parade provided

7500-464: The other, wealthy philanthropists favored buildings that reinforced the paternalistic metaphor and enhanced civic pride. Between 1886 and 1917, Carnegie reformed both library philanthropy and library design, encouraging a closer correspondence between the two. In 1900, Carnegie gave $ 2 million to start the Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT) at Pittsburgh and the same amount in 1902 to create

7600-544: The people of his hometown in Dunfermline in 1879. In the following year, Carnegie gave £8,000 for the establishment of a Dunfermline Carnegie Library in Scotland. In 1884, he gave $ 50,000 to Bellevue Hospital Medical College (now part of New York University Medical Center ) to create a histological laboratory, now called the Carnegie Laboratory. In 1881, Carnegie took his family, including his 70-year-old mother, on

7700-406: The poorer classes. Man must have no idol and the amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry ! No idol is more debasing than the worship of money! Whatever I engage in I must push inordinately; therefore should I be careful to choose that life which will be the most elevating in its character. To continue much longer overwhelmed by business cares and with most of my thoughts wholly upon

7800-632: The public school system; Progressive reformers considered the education of children, especially the children of immigrants , paramount, because they were seen as the future of New York. The children of New York had a specialized role in the Hudson–Fulton Celebration. Hundreds of thousands participated in a Children's Festival, which embraced all nationalities and classes. Even children from marginalized groups like African Americans were allowed to participate. The Children's Festival employed dances, patriotic displays, and history lessons, which mirrored

7900-595: The rest of his life to providing capital for purposes of public interest and social and educational advancement. He saved letters of appreciation from those he helped in a desk drawer labeled "Gratitude and Sweet Words." He provided $ 25,000 a year to the movement for spelling reform . His organization, the Simplified Spelling Board , created the Handbook of Simplified Spelling , which was written wholly in reformed spelling. Among his many philanthropic efforts,

8000-492: The rich to use their wealth to improve society, expressed support for progressive taxation and an estate tax , and stimulated a wave of philanthropy. Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland . He immigrated to what is now Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States with his parents in 1848 at the age of 12. Carnegie started work as a telegrapher . By the 1860s he had investments in railroads, railroad sleeping cars, bridges, and oil derricks . He accumulated further wealth as

8100-565: The steel industry. Carnegie spent energy and resources lobbying Congress for a continuation of favorable tariffs from which he earned millions of dollars a year. Carnegie tried to keep this information concealed, but legal documents released in 1900, during proceedings with the ex-chairman of Carnegie Steel, Henry Clay Frick , revealed how favorable the tariffs had been. In 1901, Carnegie was 65 years of age and considering retirement. He reformed his enterprises into conventional joint stock corporations as preparation for this. John Pierpont Morgan

8200-409: The way to make more money in the shortest time, must degrade me beyond hope of permanent recovery. I will resign business at thirty-five, but during these ensuing two years I wish to spend the afternoons in receiving instruction and in reading systematically! Carnegie made his fortune in the steel industry, controlling the most extensive integrated iron and steel operations ever owned by an individual in

8300-399: The work was even more irksome than the factory. I had to run a small steam-engine and to fire the boiler in the cellar of the bobbin factory. It was too much for me. I found myself night after night, sitting up in bed trying the steam gauges, fearing at one time that the steam was too low and that the workers above would complain that they had not power enough, and at another time that the steam

8400-656: Was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist . Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in history. He became a leading philanthropist in the United States, Great Britain, and the British Empire . During the last 18 years of his life, he gave away around $ 350 million ($ 10.9 billion in 2023 dollars ), almost 90 percent of his fortune, to charities, foundations and universities. His 1889 article proclaiming " The Gospel of Wealth " called on

8500-484: Was a banker and America's most important financial deal maker. He had observed how efficiently Carnegie produced profits. He envisioned an integrated steel industry that would cut costs, lower prices to consumers, produce in greater quantities and raise wages to workers. To this end, he needed to buy out Carnegie and several other major producers and integrate them into one company, thereby eliminating duplication and waste. He concluded negotiations on March 2, 1901, and formed

8600-408: Was a distinct aspect of the Celebration Commission's goals for the event. The Historical Parade, for example, was a way for the commission to teach the diverse population demographics of New York City—many of whom were recent immigrants – about the history of both the United States and the city in which they now lived. Now more than ever, the children of immigrant families were particularly sought out by

8700-422: Was also a recreation of New York's history, a promotion of the city's culture, a window into the social movements of the time, and an attempt to strengthen New York's national reputation and international status. The elaborate preparations of the commission were not in vain; this last great celebration in New York City was appreciated by millions in 1909, and is a success worth remembering today. A commemorative plate

8800-555: Was an important proof-of-concept for steel technology, which marked the opening of a new steel market. Carnegie believed in using his fortune for others and doing more than making money. In 1868, at age 33, he wrote: I propose to take an income no greater than $ 50,000 per annum! Beyond this I need ever earn, make no effort to increase my fortune, but spend the surplus each year for benevolent purposes! Let us cast aside business forever, except for others. Let us settle in Oxford and I shall get

8900-472: Was around 18 years old, Thomas A. Scott of the Pennsylvania Railroad employed him as a secretary/telegraph operator at a salary of $ 4.00 per week ($ 146 by 2023 inflation). Carnegie accepted the job with the railroad as he saw more prospects for career growth and experience there than with the telegraph company. When Carnegie was 24 years old, Scott asked him if he could handle being superintendent of

9000-526: Was extensive. The final float of the Carnival Parade brought the focus back to America, with a representation of " Uncle Sam Welcoming the Nations", displaying the hospitality and peaceful desires of the United States. Both the historical and carnival parades were met with decent success. New Yorkers’ evident enjoyment of the spectacle indicates that the Celebration Commission did its job well. Its messages of continuity, progress, and grandeur were present along with

9100-522: Was illustrated by the Celebration's Historical Parade, which depicted four periods of New York history: the Native American Period , the Dutch Period , the English or Colonial Period , and the American or Modern Period. The Dutch portion of the parade was particularly significant to the Celebration because Dutch contributions to New York history were particularly revered at the time, inspired by

9200-475: Was in his vertical integration of all suppliers of raw materials. In 1883, Carnegie bought the rival Homestead Steel Works , which included an extensive plant served by tributary coal and iron fields, a 425-mile-long (684 km) railway, and a line of lake steamships . In the late 1880s, Carnegie Steel was the largest manufacturer of pig iron, steel rails, and coke in the world, with a capacity to produce approximately 2,000 tons of pig iron per day. By 1889,

9300-530: Was in the replication of Hudson's Half Moon and Fulton's Clermont , the sailboat and steamship each respectively navigated on the river. Both vessels were newly replicated, displayed, and dedicated with great fanfare, and were included in the Celebration's grand naval parade of American and foreign warships, which emphasized the United States’ naval supremacy in the Western Hemisphere . Additionally,

9400-574: Was paid to him in the form of 5%, 50-year gold bonds. The letter agreeing to sell his share was signed on February 26, 1901. On March 2, the circular formally filed the organization and capitalization (at $ 1.4 billion—4% of the U.S. gross domestic product at the time) of the United States Steel Corporation actually completed the contract. The bonds were to be delivered within two weeks to the Hudson Trust Company of Hoboken, New Jersey , in trust to Robert A. Franks, Carnegie's business secretary. There,

9500-413: Was produced by Royal Doulton China, The "Areo" Plate, which shows Wilbur Wright who flew up the Hudson River for the event, as well as other means of transportation including airships and boats in the river. Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( English: / k ɑːr ˈ n ɛ ɡ i / kar- NEG -ee , Scots: [kɑrˈnɛːɡi] ; November 25, 1835 – August 11, 1919)

9600-409: Was sunk by German U-boat U-20 in 1915. The Celebration also included public flights by Wilbur Wright , who had won world fame with demonstration flights in Europe in late 1908 and spring 1909. Using Governor's Island as an airfield, on September 29 he flew around the Statue of Liberty . On October 4 he made a 33-minute flight over the Hudson River to Grant's Tomb and back, enabling perhaps

9700-529: Was superior to the British monarchical system. It gave a highly favorable and idealized view of American progress and criticized the British royal family. The cover depicted an upended royal crown and a broken scepter. The book created considerable controversy in the UK. The book made many Americans appreciate their country's economic progress and sold over 40,000 copies, mostly in the U.S. Although actively involved in running his many businesses, Carnegie had become

9800-654: Was the government and its power. A clockmaker in an 1849 comedic novel explains "we call...the American public Uncle Sam, as you call the British John Bull ." By the 1850s, the names Brother Jonathan and Uncle Sam were being used nearly interchangeably, to the point that images of what had previously been called "Brother Jonathan" were being called "Uncle Sam". Similarly, the appearance of both personifications varied wildly. For example, one depiction of Uncle Sam in 1860 showed him looking like Benjamin Franklin , while

9900-597: Was too high and that the boiler might burst. In 1849, Carnegie became a telegraph messenger boy in the Pittsburgh Office of the Ohio Telegraph Company, at $ 2.50 per week ($ 92 by 2023 inflation) following the recommendation of his uncle. He was a hard worker and would memorize all of the locations of Pittsburgh's businesses and the faces of important men. He made many connections this way. He also paid close attention to his work and quickly learned to distinguish

10000-435: Was trying to build the 100-inch (2.5 m) Hooker Telescope at Mount Wilson , and donated an additional ten million dollars to the Carnegie Institution with the following suggestion to expedite the construction of the telescope: "I hope the work at Mount Wilson will be vigorously pushed, because I am so anxious to hear the expected results from it. I should like to be satisfied before I depart, that we are going to repay to

#986013