Biltmore

into New York. Vanderbilt at this time was passed the normal life expectancy. Other railroad

Andrew Carnegie was one of the wealthiest men in America but his wealth didn’t come without hard work and dedication. Carnegie was born in “Dunfermline, Scotland on November 25, 1835” (Tyle). According to Laura B. Tyle, the invention of the weaving machine unfortunately pushed Carnegie’s family in to poverty “In 1848, Carnegie’s family left Scotland and moved to Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, where his father and eventually him worked in a cotton factory” (Tyle). After leaving the cotton factory “Carnegie became a messenger boy for the Pittsburgh telegraph office and eventually made his way up to telegraph operator” (Tyle). According to Laura B. Tyle “Thomas A. Scott, the superintendent of the western division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, made Carnegie his secretary at the age of eighteen.” Later, Carnegie took over Scott’s position of the railroad. Furthermore Carnegie “began to see that steel was going to replace iron and by 1873 he organized a steel rail company” (Tyle). According to Laura B. Tyle he continued to build his company when he “cut prices, drove out competitors,

After Hunt died in July 31, 1895, his son continued his work on the Biltmore Estate, even though it was essentially finished. The center of the Biltmore Village was the All Souls Episcopal Cathedral. This was one of Hunt’s favorite, but least known works. Today, full-height portraits of Richard Morris Hunt and Frederick Law Olmsted, the great designers, hang in the Biltmore.

William Vanderbilt was an American businessman whose wealth was derived from the thriving railroad industry of the late nineteenth century. He was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1821 and died at age 64 on December 8, 1885. During this time, he led the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, the Canada Southern Railway, and the Michigan Central Railroad. He took over as president for these organizations for his father. His father, Cornelius Vanderbilt, brought the railroad business to his family. Upon his death, William Vanderbilt was the richest man in the world. His success can be attributed to his ability to capitalize on the transportation revolution that swept America years ago, and only remained to expand and grow with the

The “rags to riches” story is a term of reverence respecting the few in society who sacrificed the little they had and emerged successful. These doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and other professionals inspire people of all socioeconomic levels by transforming nothing into something. Jay-Z, George Soros, Steve Jobs – these are names culture holds with great respect. One “rags to riches” story not many Americans have heard of pushes the limits of mental capacity. This man followed the poor-to-rich path and succeeded to such high degree that he, in turn, defined the very essence of this characteristic. Once a poor boy, Andrew Carnegie transformed the limited resources available to him into tools that aided his journey in becoming one of the richest, most successful men in all of history. Carnegie began his journey as an immigrant to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from Scotland. His family sought work, as their former weaving business had been destroyed by the Industrial Revolution (“Andrew Carnegie” American Experience). This experience as a poor worker created the drive that led him to become one of the wealthiest men of all time through his massive steel company, the Carnegie Steel Company. In conjunction with his economic success, the tycoon used the fruits of his leadership in the steel industry to become the “father of American philanthropy” (“Meet Andrew Carnegie”). As accomplished the man became, the

Monticello is considered one of the greatest architectural feats for the time in which it was built. Thomas Jefferson built a home that was years beyond its time. He included sunlights to let in the sun for extra lighting. Jefferson also was one of the first people to go away from the block style building with a hall down the middle and rooms off to the left and right. He created a central room with a circular path going around the rooms. This is one of the beginnings of the

“Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt, also known as the founder of the New York Central Railroad System, was born on May 27th, 1794 in Port Richmond, Staten Island, New York. He was named after his father, who “...instilled in him a blunt, straightforward demeanor...” while his mother, Phoebe Hand instilled “...frugality and hard work....”. It is known that his family has roots in De Bilt, which is a town in the Netherlands.

Cornelius Vanderbilt was one of the most influential people of the 19th century by being a shipping and railroad tycoon (history.com). He shaped the way future American businesses will operate. Vanderbilt was a ruthless and competitive man (history.com). This approach to business will be what helps him to defeat a Steamboat Monopoly granted by the New York Legislature. This ruling in the law will influence future court cases (McBride, “Landmark Cases”).

Cornelius Vanderbilt was born in Port Richmond on Staten Island, N. Y. in 1794. Cornelius at the age of 16 had already stepped into the busniess world and he didn’t even know it. At 16 he entered into the steamboat business when he

Wealthy industrialists and financiers such as John D. Rockefeller, founder of the Standard Oil Company; Andrew Carnegie, the self-made steel tycoon and philanthropist; Cornelius Vanderbilt, known for developing the inland water trade and rapidly growing railroad industry after building the New York Central Railroad; and Jay Gould, a developer of the railroads, were labeled as “robber barons,” meaning an American capitalist who became

The first house that caught my attention was the St. George Tucker House. It was home to St. George Tucker, who was a lawyer, Revolutionary War militia officer, and judge, a very interesting man in my opinion. This beautiful home was added onto several times to accommodate his nine children and five stepchildren. It is said that Tucker was the first in Williamsburg to construct a bathroom. Another interesting fact about the Tucker house is that they were the first in Williamsburg to put a Christmas tree in the house in 1842. Sadly, the St. George Tucker is not a Colonial Williamsburg exhibition

To begin, John grew up in a pretty normal household as a privileged child. He had a father, John Hinckley Sr., who devoted to his family, a mother, and two other siblings. Hinckley Sr., his father, formed Vanderbilt Energy Corp. as a publicly owned, independent oil and gas exploration company with operations from south Texas to Canada. In

Cornelius Vanderbilt was the most powerful railroad baron. He earned a fortune for himself in the steamship line. He also combined the New York and Harlem and New York and Hudson estate ferry boat operations. He established a connection between New York and Albany to make Lake Shore and Michigan Southern link Buffalo with Chicago. When he died he owned and operated nearly 4500 miles of track between New York City and most of the important cities in the Midwest. He left his fortune to his son, unlike the others he did not donate to many organizations. The only contribution he gave was to support the, now, Vanderbilt College.

Cornelius Vanderbilt was a steamship and railroad tycoon. He made millions in the steamship business before turning to the promising railroad industry. He began to take capital from the steamship business to buy railroads, starting with the New York and Harlem Railroad in 1862. Vanderbilt eventually amassed over $100 million from his railroad empire and his wealth and power was virtually untouchable. He was a ruthless businessman, once saying to a competitor “You have undertaken to cheat me. I won't sue you, for the law is too slow. I will ruin you.” His New York Central rail line operated from New York to Chicago along more than 4,500 miles of track at the time of his death.

Built in 1852, the Snowden-Gray House was the home of Civil War Gov. David Tod and has been restored to its glorious 19th century splendor. The Heritage Museum depicts the daily life and culture of the Victorian era with an emphasis on the lives and roles of women.