Early Years
Cornelius Vanderbilt wasn’t exactly what you would expect out of one of the richest men in the world. He was brutish, ill-mannered, barely literate, and swore like a sailor. But, perhaps, it was these same traits that made him the definition of the American Dream with all the good and the bad that that entailed. He rose up from nothing; from less than nothing, in fact. His Dutch ancestors came to the New World as indentured servants. But through hard work and a keen eye towards the future he amassed a fortune seldom seen before that time.
That being said, he certainly was no saint. Like all the other industrialists and speculators of his time, Vanderbilt stepped on plenty of toes to make his money. He was ruthless in business and didn’t come to be regarded as America’s first robber baron for nothing.
Cornelius Vanderbilt was born on May 27, , in Staten Island, New York City, to Cornelius Van Der Bilt Sr. and Phebe Hand. His ancestors had come to North America years before he was born, back when the territory was still part of a Dutch colony called New Netherland. His great great great grandfather was a man named Jan Aertsen who immigrated to America as an ind
Cornelius Vanderbilt []
Upon his death in , at age 82, Cornelius Vanderbilt, also known as Commodore Vanderbilt, was the wealthiest man in the United States and probably the greatest of the nineteenth century railroad barons. Earlier in his business career he probably was the greatest shipping tycoon in the United States. His estate was worth million dollars, a sum unheard of in those days. He left the bulk of his estate to his son William Henry Vanderbilt, because he was the only child who had been actively involved in the business that produced the Vanderbilt fortune. William Henry also had been instrumental in building and expanding the railroad business since he joined his father in the management of the organization upon becoming an adult.
Cornelius was born in Port Richmond, Staten Island, New York on May 27, His parents were poor and his father earned his living by providing low level transportation services. As was usual for the common people in those days, Cornelius went to work at age 11, and was employed by his father. We know little of his parents but his ancestors came from the town of De Bilt, in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. His grea
Cornelius Vanderbilt, born on May 27, , in Staten Island, New York, was a prominent American business magnate known for his remarkable rise from humble beginnings to becoming one of the wealthiest individuals in the 19th century.
His career spanned various facets of transportation, from being a ferryman to steamship entrepreneur and ultimately a railroad tycoon.
Vanderbilt&#;s influence extended beyond business as he engaged in famous rivalries, engaged in philanthropy, and left a significant mark on American history. In this overview, we will explore key aspects of his life and legacy.
Cornelius Vanderbilt Facts
1. Born on May 27, , in Staten Island, New York
Cornelius Vanderbilt was born into a humble family on Staten Island, on the 27th of May , one of New York City&#;s five boroughs.
He was the fourth of nine children born to Cornelius van Derbilt and Phebe Hand. His family was not wealthy, and he grew up with limited resources.
2. Started as a ferryman
Vanderbilt&#;s career began at a young age when he started working as a ferryman. In , at the age of 16, he purchased a small periauger (a type of sailing vessel) with a loan from his parents.
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Cornelius Vanderbilt
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Who Was Cornelius Vanderbilt?
Cornelius Vanderbilt began a passenger ferry business in New York harbor with one boat, then started his own steamship company, eventually controlling Hudson River traffic. He also provided the first rail service between New York and Chicago. When he died in , Vanderbilt had amassed the largest fortune accumulated in the U.S. at that time. Vanderbilt is deemed one of America's leading businessmen, and is credited for helping to shape the present-day United States.
Early Life
Vanderbilt was born on May 27, , on Staten Island, New York, the son of Cornelius and Phebe Hand Vanderbilt. His father instilled in him a blunt, straightforward demeanor, and his mother, frugality and hard work. At age 11, young Vanderbilt quit school to work with his father, ferrying cargo and passengers between Staten Island and Manhattan. Legend has it that at age 16, Vanderbilt ran a two-mast sailing vessel, known as a periauger; the enterprise came with the understanding that he would have to share profits with his parents, who had supplied a loan. Through aggressive marketing, shrewd deals and undercutting the competition—traits that he wo
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