Livesay begins his biography of Andrew Carnegie by discussing the myth of the American Dream, “the belief that anyone can rise above his origins […] and through hard work, honesty, and thrift achieve positions of power and influence” (3). According to Livesay, the American Dream was an integral part of America from its start, as everyone from pilgrims to ex-convicts ventured to the New World in search of opportunities not afforded them in Europe. The myth of the dream carried over to Europe from letters sent home by immigrants, “propelling the migration of tens of millions from the Old World to the New” (4).

For Livesay, Andrew Carnegie’s life story—from poor Scottish immigrant to American industrial tycoon—epitomizes the American Dream. Andrew Carnegie is born in 1835 in Dunfermline, Scotland, a town whose primary industry had been the hand weaving of linen for several centuries. Carnegie is exposed to egalitarian political ideas from a young age, as his father and uncle are prominent advocates of the People’s Charter, a reformist measure that demanded, among other things, “universal manhood suffrage, the secret ballot, [and] annual elections of Parliament […]” (7).

In the 1830s, Carnegie’s father, Will, has a successful career as a weaver.