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Alex Yarrish November 13, 2012 Philippine Annexation Debate

Occupation Andrew Carnegie was a “rags to riches” type of man. Coming over from his home land of Scotland, Carnegie’s entrepreneurial mind began to churn when he was merely a teenager. He was involved in many businesses throughout his life, most of which included railroads in some fashion. Bridges, railways, and trains were of interest to him, as well as steel. Carnegie became very wealthy; in fact, he sold the Carnegie Company to banker J.P. Morgan for $400 million at the turn of the 20th century. From this point on, he became known as not a man of business and steel, but a man of giving. Philanthropy took over Carnegie’s plans, and he began to start public libraries and give away large amounts of his wealth. $350 million of his earnings were given away during his lifetime.

Position on Issue Carnegie was against the United States taking over the Philippines. He even gave the Filipino government $20 million in hopes that they could buy their independence. He believed that the Americans were being imperialistic, and though his efforts for Filipino independence failed, he stood strong in these beliefs.

List of Reasons for Interest in the Topic Andrew Carnegie was a member of the Anti-Imperialist League along with Mark Twain, Grover Cleveland and others. He had a strong dislike for imperialism because of the effects it had on the workers of America. Because of this, Carnegie fought with the Anti-Imperialist League to slow down the imperialism of the Americans.