Cornelius Vanderbilt Research Paper

There have been multitudes of people who have made drastic differences in the United States, but a key figure in History is Cornelius Vanderbilt. This self-made millionaire changed trade and transportation in the United States forever by building a railroad industry. Americans could travel across the country in less than half the time and buy products they could have never before. His railroad industry connected those in the north, south, east, and west in ways that were unprecedented. Cornelius Vanderbilt was one of the most influential and successful men during the Gilded age in America, because of his ruthless business tactics that accompanied him in building of the railroad industry in America. Cornelius Vanderbilt was born in Staten Island,

Vanderbilt is described as, “a walking ball of intensity…he ushered in a new era of corporate power in which only fools adhered to strict morals” (The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt). Vanderbilt changed the way people did business; he was a self-made millionaire which made him into a fearless, determined business man. Vanderbilt has been referred to as “The Red Baron” because he influenced the rise of big business. His competitors disliked Vanderbilt and Henry J. Raymond, editor of The New York Times, said Vanderbilt was, “Like those old German barons who, from their eyries along the Rhine, swooped down upon the commerce of the noble river and wrung tribute from every passenger that floated by”( Robber Barons or Captains of Industry?). In this quotation Henry J. Raymond is basically saying Vanderbilt got money in every way he could. This nickname could be seen as a bad thing, but Vanderbilt could not care less about a nickname if he was making the money. Vanderbilt’s qualities of intensity and drive contributed to his great success and separated him from other wealthy people during the gilded

Near the end of Vanderbilt’s life he donated one million dollars to create Central University in Nashville, TN, which is now known as Vanderbilt University. The people of Nashville were very grateful and honored Vanderbilt, “The objects and purpose of this meeting are to return in the shape of a people’s gratitude that which is due Mr. Vanderbilt for his magnificent donation to the people of Tennessee, to erect in their midst an institution that is to be for all time to come” (Gratitude to Vanderbilt). From this quotation you can see the great gratitude that the people of Nashville have for Vanderbilt. His donation helped create and sustain a prestigious university that is still praised very highly to this day. At the age of 76 Vanderbilt also donated $50,000 to open The Church of Strangers in New York City. Soon after Vanderbilt’s death in 1877, the people of the church put up a tablet on the church walls in his memory. Vanderbilt had, “given the church a firm establishment” and so they, “proposed to commemorate the kindness of their benefactor by erecting a tablet to his memory upon the walls of the church” (The Vanderbilt Tablet). In order for everyone in the congregation to be a part of this memorial, every person donated from 10 cents to $1 to construct Vanderbilt’s tablet. This money donated by members of the church shows just how appreciative towards Vanderbilt they