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Primary sourceDocumentJune 1889

The Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie · June 1889

Carnegie's 1889 essay arguing the rich must responsibly give away their fortunes for the public good.

Carnegie's own essay laying out his philosophy that the rich should give away their fortunes while alive.

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About this source

What it is

"Wealth," better known as The Gospel of Wealth, is an essay written by Andrew Carnegie in June 1889 and published in the North American Review, later reprinted in The Pall Mall Gazette.

Why it matters

Carnegie argues that surplus fortunes should be administered by the wealthy themselves during their lifetimes, rather than left to heirs or even charities, to best benefit society. Written at the height of Gilded Age inequality, it became the founding text of modern philanthropy and shaped how later rich Americans thought about giving.

Look closer

  • Why does Carnegie think inherited wealth is dangerous?
  • How does he justify extreme inequality while also criticizing it?
  • What does the essay leave out about the workers who created his fortune?

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