How Is Cornelius Vanderbilt A Captain Of Industry

America has been changed due to the accomplishments of many entrepreneurs, such as Cornelius Vanderbilt. Cornelius Vanderbilt started as the owner of one steamboat, and slowly built his one boat into a fleet of many boats. As the International Railroad was nearing completion Vanderbilt did the unthinkable he sold his entire company of boats and bought a rail line. Vanderbilt then began to slowly buy out other lines, until he eventually owned most of the lines in the east. Vanderbilt's net worth was eventually an astonishing 215 billion dollars in today's money.

Arguably one of the most pivotal points in American history, the industrialization of the 19th century brought about a new way of life, and with that came intense competition and crucial outcomes. Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie and John D Rockefeller are just a few examples of industrialists that made lasting impacts on society. I believe that these 19th century industrialists did not always play fair, but it was their motivation and intuition behind their choices that credit them as the “Captains of Industry” and helped shape American business. To earn this title, these men had to do whatever it took to stay on top. Being the front runners, they were constantly being targeted and had to fight back to ensure the prosper of their own

The Men who Built America impacted the lifestyle of many Average Americans. These men were great, but also not so great. There were Rubber Barons and Captains of Industry in this time. A Captain of Industry is someone who’s fortune positively impacted the lives of those around them. On the the hand, a Robber Baron was a person who has a big fortune by using selfish behavior and using others to grow their riches.

We are in an era of great wealth and prosperity in America, but there is a dark secret to this period of economic growth. Cornelius Vanderbilt and Jay Gould are two of the most influential railroad barons of the time, but their business practices are anything but honorable. Vanderbilt and Gould use their immense wealth and power to create monopolies and exploit the railroad industry for their own gain. They manipulate the stock market, bribe politicians, and use intimidation tactics to ensure their success.

“I began to stop accumulating and begin the infinitely more serious and difficult task of wise distribution,” as said by Andrew Carnegie. The industrialist and hard-working Andrew Carnegie was a very successful businessman and philanthropist. Andrew Carnegie provided the United States economy to rise due to his steel production in the 1800’s and 1900’s. Although some may think Carnegie was a brutal businessman, Andrew Carnegie enhanced the United States due to his business investments, his philanthropy, and his educational institutions. One way Andrew Carnegie enhanced The United States is his business investments.

Railroad tycoon and businessman, Cornelius Vanderbilt was a self-made millionaire in the 19th century. As a businessman who set the path for others, Cornelius Vanderbilt was born into humble circumstances on May 27, 1794 on Staten Island, New York. Cornelius Vanderbilt was a captain of industry. To begin with, Cornelius set the path for other businessmen.

The free enterprise system offered Andrew Carnegie unrestricted industrial power, used by profit focused individuals like himself. Andrew Carnegie went on to become one of the wealthiest men of the 19th century. He came into the nicknames of "the steel magnate" and the "oil baron". Early on Carnegie had the strong characteristics of a successful entrepreneur. Carnegie had a ruthless financial and organizational skill and a great appetite for cost efficient production, and a keen eye for innovation.

He was the son of a famer and boatman and later quit school at the age 11. In 1810 Vanderbilt purchased his first boat with money he borrowed from his parents. Vanderbilt made his fortune of more than 100 million by shipping goods on steamboat and railroad. At point in history he completely controlled all shipping of goods that moved throughout the east coast. Men such as Rockefeller and Carnegie had to go through Vanderbilt to move their steel and oil products across the land.

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.

Robber Barons and Captains of Industry Some might believe that the businessmen of the Gilded age are robber barons because of how some of them treated their workers and spent their money. The businessmen of the Gilded Age were captains of industry because of the impact that they made on the country. Carnegie, Rockefeller, Morgan, and Vanderbilt all have done things that can identify them as captains of industry. These businessmen gave their time and effort to help the economy grow.

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.

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.

Carnegie slowly moved his way up with jobs and soon he got a job in a sleeping car company. This led to Carnegie’s early success in the railroad business. During the Civil War, Carnegie invested in oil, worked in transportation for the U.S. War Department and became interested in the steel and iron business. When the Civil War ended, he focused more on the steel business and decided to pursue a career in the

‘The reason for the United States of America having the strongest economy in the world is because of the work of entrepreneurs.’ Certain entrepreneurs had the vision to achieve their goals and to build empires that shaped the future of the United States of America’s economy, therefore making the USA the most powerful country in the world. These men included: Cornelius Vanderbilt through his shipping and railroad empire; John D Rockefeller through his oil, kerosene and gasoline empire; Andrew Carnegie through his steel empire; JP Morgan through his General Electric company as well as his contributions in banking and lastly Henry Ford for his perfection of the assembly line and creating a car affordable for the common man. These men not only

Rikki Dianne Saul October 8, 2015 Influencing the Society Cornelius Vanderbilt was an entrepreneur who got his start in the steamboat industry. He was able to fight against the New York state government monopoly on steamboats by offering the same transportation for cheaper costs. He illustrated for us that the free market is better for bringing costs down, not only for stateside travels, but transatlantic and continental trips from the East Coast to the West Coast. John D. Rockefeller taught us the values of good stewardship, which is to not leave anything to waste.