Overall, I thought that the term Robber Barron to describe Cornelius Vanderbilt was justified. For example, in the article Robber Barons or Captains of Industry, we learned that Vanderbilt was “one who either destroyed his enemies or extracted a ransom in return for leaving a market”. Basically, he was so competitive that he ran other business out of the market in order gain more wealth. Even though he helped the economy with building steamships and providing transportation of goods though the railroad systems he still was looked at in a negative way because of how competitive and ruthless he was. I thought that Andrew Carnegie was more like a captain of industry because he was more focused on bettering society as a whole rather than just
Having a strong mind like Vanderbilt is admirable among many; however, his brilliant and creative mindset made him stand out above others. Not only did this man set out to monopolize the steamboat industry, but he followed the trends of the economy as well. Seeing the opportunity to invest in an exponentially growing market, Vanderbilt decided to begin his journey with the railroad. In early America, seizing the chances you had as a businessman were
The death of President Lincoln sparked a new era in the United States. It set forth new boundaries for what would take place in the American frontier. At age 16, Cornelius Vanderbilt bought his first ferry boat with a loan of $100. With his shipping industry well under way, he was given the nickname of “The Commodore”. He was very competitive and earned the reputation of being a “cut-throat” business man.
In 1868, Vanderbilt decided that he had to buy the New York & Erie Railroad in order to end competition in New York City railroads. He was unsuccessful in doing this, but he had more luck securing railroads that traveled all the way to Chicago. He bought Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and the Northern Indiana Railroads. By 1873, Vanderbilt had control over a system of railroads running from New York to Chicago.
The 19th century saw the rise of railroads in the United States. This, in turn, led to the growth of cities and industries. Cornelius Vanderbilt was one of the railroad tycoons who invested in and controlled the transportation industry, becoming one of the wealthiest people in the country. Another notable tycoon was James J. Hill, who spent his life creating his railroad “empire” in the northwest. Finally, Jason Gould owned the Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific Railroad, moving transportation west.
Subsequently, by the time the war was coming to an end, Vanderbilt was able to purchase a small quantity of a fleet of boats (Sandoval). Vanderbilt was able to create a new life for himself and acquired so many new and state of the art business opportunities for himself and others. Vanderbilt continued this life until his interest shifted more to the railroad industry, where his railroad business thrived tremendously and he became a multi-millionaire by his death in 1877. Although Vanderbilt was a great businessman and leader of the 19th century, he may have been perceived differently by others. It is believed to have been said that many of his workers viewed him as a robber baron for the reason that he paid them low wages and they were to work long strenuous hours.
For the first time in the country’s short existence, the man who was most capable of leading America was not a politician. He was a self-made person who, through sheer force of will, was able to turn a poor upbringing on the docks of New Harbor into an empire. Vanderbilt grew up poor, but at age 16, he bought a small ferry boat with a loan of $100 and quickly developed a reputation as a “cutthroat” businessman. He was a tough guy and did whatever it took to get ahead of the game, and once he created the railroad empire, he became the richest man in the country. He even became so synonymous with shipping that his nickname became “the Commodore.”
Was Cornelius Vanderbilt a Robber Baron or Captain of Industry? A cruel businessman or an industrious leader? Henry J. Raymond believed that Vanderbilt was “a monopolist that crushed other competitors”(T.J Stiles). While he is also deemed one of America’s leading businessmen, and is also credited for helping shape the United States. His fortunes were made unfairly in some cases but his million dollar contribution to the Navy was very generous.
In the Interview with William Vanderbilt, Chicago Daily News, 1882 as well as Thomas Alva Edison, Letter written November 14, 1887 and James B. Weaver, “A Call to Action,” 1892 demonstrated that Robber Barons were ruthless and began to grow greedy with their growing industries. During the interview with William Vanderbilt, Chicago Daily News Vanderbilt says, “The public be damned. What does the public care about the railroads except to get as much out of them for as little consideration as
Cornelius Vanderbilt built the railroad empire (H.2010). He saw how popular the railroads were and he wanted to get into the business (H.2010). It was a very large growing industry because of the gold rush and other new products. He had control of some major railroad lines operating between New York and Chicago (H.2010). Popular railroads made product ship a lot faster.
One major industry during this time period was found in the railroad. The of course was also considered the center of national or both financial and political corruption (White, 21). While transcontinental railroads were essential developments for the growth of the United
In the 1840s, the steamboat was a very common mode of transportation along the rivers of south-central states. This, of course, resulted in increased business on and around the rivers that run through America. Another transportation mode that was boosted by the expansion was the railway system, as significant numbers of Americans desired to move West. As the century progressed, the railroad system began to expand to help transport both people and large amounts of agriculture goods from place to place. Not only did the expansion of the agricultural industry boost America’s economy, the continuous Westward expansion attracted more Americans to travel and settle Westward; this resulted in further economic growth due to the nation’s expanding transportation networks, the building of new infrastructure, and the settlement of new towns and communities which relied on goods and services to
Money. Everyone wants it but doesn’t want to work for it. It’s a common necessity in everyday life and it always will be. These two gentlemen took their passion for money and obtaining fine things and turned it into a profession. Cornelius Vanderbilt and Ted Waitt both had similarities and differences, both strong and weak.
Cornelius Vanderbilt was the richest man in 19th century America because he was a brilliant visionary and a cunning and ruthless businessman, which led to his dominance among his fellow entrepreneurs. Vanderbilt was the best. Whatever he did, he conquered, with ruthless aggression. He supported the idea of the American Dream through his childhood, his work ethic, and the empire he created. His ability to see a business and predict its outcome was uncanny.
James Mercer Langston Hughes was the first African American to achieve national prominence, and the figure of such stature in the black community. His influence and ideas were inescapable, as he saw himself as a poet for an entire nation. Hughes role model, Walt Whitman helped to give him the ideas of the optimistic vision of America and how to achieve and accomplish some of the things he did in his life. Langston Hughes inspired many people and expressed the African American spirt and soul in his works.
