The Men Who Built America Episode 1

In episode 1 of The Men Who Built America, it explains the influential impact major businessmen had on rebuilding America after the Civil War just ended. The video goes into the back story of Cornelius Vanderbilt when he was sixteen and bought a ferry for a loan of $100. Years after buying his first ferry, he has the largest shipping empire in the world. Because of his wealthy empire in shipping, he was so well known and earned the nickname “the Commodore”. Vanderbilt then took and sold everything he had in shipping and invested it into railroads. That good investment paid off because he ended up with a net worth of over sixty-eight million dollars, which is seventy-five billion today, making him the richest man in America at that time. In the war, Vanderbilt lost his son, George, who he hoped would take his place in company once he was gone forcing him to rely on his other son, William, who was far less accomplished. …show more content…
Before his competitors stocks were worthless, they tried to sell all the shares in the New York Stock Exchange, which Vanderbilt bought all he could creating the largest single rail company in the U.S. One line he didn't own though was the Erie Line that went from Chicago to New York and was very valuable. Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, who are in middle-management at Erie Line, came up with an idea to print over a hundred thousand of new shares of stock to try and dilute Vanderbilt’s stake in the company and making him continue to buy more and more shares. Vanderbilt then looks towards something new that can put him back on top and to fully control the railroad industry. His plan is to extend is railroad line to Cleveland and strike a deal with John D. Rockefeller, whose business was on the verge of bankruptcy, to exclusively fill Vanderbilt’s trains with Rockefeller’s refined kerosine