History Extra podcast Andrew Carnegie: life of the week
26 snips
Sep 22, 2025 
David Nasaw, a historian specializing in US cultural and business history, dives into the paradoxical life of Andrew Carnegie. They discuss Carnegie's rise from a poor immigrant to a steel magnate, revealing his ruthless business strategies and the violent Homestead Strike. Nasaw highlights Carnegie's transformation into a philanthropist and his ambitious peacebuilding efforts, illustrating his struggle to balance capitalism with a conscience amidst the backdrop of war and conflict.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
From Scottish Weaving Town To Railroad Power
- Andrew Carnegie rose from a Scottish weaving-town childhood to become indispensable in US railroading through telegraph skills and charm.
- He used personal drive, memorization, and networking to climb from messenger to railroad executive by age 30.
Ruthlessness Rooted In Insecurity
- Carnegie's ruthlessness matched his ambition and insecurity about his small stature and origins.
- His background as the only true rags-to-riches robber baron sharpened his competitive, sometimes ruthless methods.
Homestead Strike: Atlantic Distance, Shared Blame
- During the 1892 Homestead Strike Carnegie was in Scotland while Henry Frick violently broke the union with Pinkertons.
- Carnegie publicly supported Frick but privately claimed he would have acted differently.
