How Did The Captain Of Industry Build The Economy During The Gilded Age

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The Gilded Age was a period of economic growth as the United States jumped into the lead of industrialization. The nation was rapidly expanding its economy into new areas. Railroad expansion grew as trains shipped goods West to the East. Steel and oil were in great demand. Electricity opened new businesses. All this industry produced a lot of wealth for several businessmen like Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J.P. Morgan. These men were well-known as the “Captains of Industry”. Cornelius Vanderbilt also known as “The Commodore” built on of the largest shipping empires in the world. In his early years he was a steamboat manager and entrepreneur. He decided to sell all his ships and invest his money into railroads.