Working Title: Railroad to Success To be revolutionary you must cause great change and that is exactly what Cornelius Vanderbilt had done. He paved the way for westward expansion. He had a railroad pool with the other railroad owners. Was a major success he was the American dream from rags to riches story. America today would not be the same without westward expansion, the railroad and the American dream. Westward Expansion is the all American story “Cowboys and Indians “is the first thing that comes to mind when people say America and without westward expansions that would have never happened. Without Railroads transporting items and people took thousands of dollars and a weeks upon weeks. “The railroads were the arteries of America” Tom …show more content…
““Those who labor in the earth,” he wrote, “are the chosen people of God.”” (Roosevelt gtd. “Westward”). This quote explains how important it was to the Americans. Without these transcontinental railroads that Vanderbilt built then westward expansion would’ve never happened. Vanderbilt didn’t start off as a huge money making mogul .Charging as little as 25 cents per round trip, Vanderbilt amassed $1,000 in his first year in business. He found people wanted quality goods for quality prices Vanderbilt spent the money from steam boats to try these new technologies called railroads. “He engineered the consolidation of the New York & Harlem and the Hudson Line” (“Vanderbilt”). He was extremely successful. However who knew how far he would’ve gone if he didn’t believe in himself. The American dream is something special to America it consists of the idea that everyone who lives in America will be successful. A common American dream is to rise from rags to riches and that’s exactly what the commodore did. “After working as a steamship captain, Vanderbilt went into business for himself in the late 1820s, and eventually became one of the country’s largest steamship operators” (“Cornelius”). This explains how Vanderbilt went from a common kid to a big business man. After his success on water he learned about westward expansion and decided to give railroads a try. “Vanderbilt did not own grand homes or give away much of his vast wealth to charitable causes”. This shows how he wished other people would follow his American dream and become
Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius V. helped with railroad transportation, he was known as being the largest steamship operations in his country. In the 1860’s he built an empire, this empire helped with railroad transportation. Before he built an empire he decided to focus on the railroad industry. Before he worked on railroad transportation he was a steamship captain. Cornelius had a very illiberal personality also known as a competitive person.
From 1865 to 1900 agriculture was at war, shifting from small, individual farms to larger commercialized farms because of the devaluing of currency, competition from corporate farms with more land and better technology, and government policies that proved detrimental to those clinging to old ways of life. To escape debt and seek profit in new lands, many farmers started working westward but so did corporations looking to expand. Because of westward expansion, companies like the union pacific railroad company built railroads that connected lands all across the U.S. and earned 10 miles of land in either direction of the railroad. This land put the railroad in control of many western lands and in control of the prices of land, travel and resource transportation.
During the 1800s, the actions taken by federal government led to westward expansion . According to the history of westward expansion the federal government's idea was to own from pacific ocean to Atlantic ocean (the area that created US right now). For them to own land from one ocean, they had to get the westward land which they did and move people to westward. Federal government did accomplished their idea in many ways.
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
What changed Vanderbilt to Railroads from Steamboats. “Vanderbilt entered the railroad business in 1857 and eventually gained control of the New York and Harlem Railroad—again besting his rival, Daniel Drew. “ He thought that because of the war that was coming, he needed to think of a new way to prosper and help the war effort. “During the Civil War, Vanderbilt realized that the future of transportation lay not on the high seas but on land.” He used many of the same strategies as he used in the steam boat industry, like being able to control the price of shipping using his trains.
The people that expanded westward had to endure great challenges or setbacks on they 're exploring. They encountered a lot of weather challenges, Indian attacks and animal attacks. During this time of exploration the president Thomas Jefferson was not helping everyone explore. The westward expansion was actually a major part of his wild soul that just wanted to get out there and explore. The explorers and present day us got lots of benefits but also consequences.
Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller and so many more greatly impacted America today for what they achieved during the Gilded Age. Defining what our businesses today would be run like. Putting a foundation on America for the Industrialism. Railroads, steel, and oil are just some of the great inventions or improved elements of America today. Though we forget it took people to master the certain things so we could still have it today.
In the 1860s, Vanderbilt switched from shipping on ships to the railroad industry using steamships. He made over $25 million in just 5 years of being in the railroad industry. He also gained control of most of the railways that ran from New York all the way to Chicago. This gave him the power to control these railways on the East Coast.
Without the railroads, development and settling of the West would not have been possible. Although the railroads achieved in
Introduction The Westward Expansion is about moving west to find better land. almost seven million Americans moved west to find better land to farm and to build a house and raise a family. Two topics about the westward is The Oregon Trail and The Gold Rush.
During the Gilded Age, many fortunes were made by the railroad system. The increased construction of railroads provided the transportation of people, supplies, and trading goods. The movement of people from the east to the west allowed for increased populations and the spread of their culture. The railroad system provided a service that could quickly and cheaply move supplies across America. The Manifest Destiny was also fueled by the railroad system in the sense that Americans felt it was their duty to spread the knowledge and teach other races.
Later on, during the Civil War, he donated his finest bought, the Vanderbilt, worth one million dollars, to the U.S. Navy. Though many sources may say that he did not donate it, the vast majority says that he did, in fact, donate the boat. Throughout the 1860s, Vanderbilt shifted his focus over to the railroad industry. Before he acquired multiple railroads, the railroad system was not unified, and therefore had different timetables, costs, and rolling stock. Vanderbilt changed this system, as by unifying multiple railroads, he was able to make the transportation business more efficient and was able to lower costs.
The Tremendous Impact of Railroads on America In the late 19th century, railroads propelled America into an era of unprecedented growth, prosperity, and convenient transportation. Prior to the building of the railroads, America lacked the proper and rapid transportation to make traveling across the country economical or practical. Lengthy travel was often cumbersome, costly, and dangerous.
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.
The building of roads, canals and railroads played a large role in the United States during the 1800s. They served the purpose of connecting towns and settlements so that goods could be transported quickly and more efficiently. These goods could be transported fast, cheap and in safe way through the Erie Canal that was built to connect the Great Lakes to New York. Railroads were important during Civil War as well, because it helped in the transportation of goods, supplies and weapons when necessary. These new forms of transportation shaped the United States into the place that it is today.