Iowa Public Television

American Experience

The Richest Man in the World: Andrew Carnegie (#903)

This episode of the American Experience is a portrait of 19th Century industrialist Andrew Carnegie, a man described by a friend as "a ship forever in sight of port but never landing." A series of historians trace his path to power, from his humble beginnings in Scotland, to his successful yet stormy rise to power in the American steel industry. Raised by an altruistic father and a materialistic, aggressive mother, Carnegie was a curious blend of the two influences. He was driven to make a profit at all costs, many times at the expense of his workers, setting a demanding scale of production of the steel that formed the basis of modern America. Yet he often spoke out on the rights of the working man, and gave away millions in donations for public libraries and buildings. It is the duality of his nature that forms the core of this portrait. [116 minutes]

This episode has not aired in the past few months on Iowa Public Television.