Influence And Impact Of Disney And Vanderbilt Families

Great Essays
Payton Moore
Anna Burrow
03 English
11/3/2017
The Influence and Impact of the Disney and Vanderbilt Families
Although their lifestyles and up-bringing were drastically different, the famous Vanderbilt and Disney families were highly influential in the 1800’s and still continue to make an impact today. Both families navigated through the business industry, facing doubt and countless setbacks. However, despite their challenges, these families reached their goals and impacted the American business industry. Disney and Vanderbilt’s drive for success was clearly evident during the 1800’s and still make an impact on the business industry today. “Disney”, is a well-known animation company applauded for their award-winning films and popular attractions/amusement parks. Disneyland is located in California and Disneyworld in the Sunshine State of Florida. The Walt Disney Company had a revenue of 55.3 billion USD in 2016, with 42 billion USD coming from the United States alone (Statistica). The Walt Disney Company, or Disney as its common nick-name, has grown from a small business working in a tiny office space, to being one of the most influential entertainment companies with a business geared towards family. The Walt Disney Company was an idea brought to life by two brothers raised in the Disney family household, Roy, and Walt (IF, 2015). Walt Disney, more than likely, would be the first person that comes to mind when thinking about the company. Although the man is thought of as an icon of inspiration today, many people in the early chapters of his life often shook their heads with disapproval when seeing Walt’s passion. “The Black Sheep of the Family” the young boy had early on earned that title in life. Rather than helping his father with work, he craved to use his time for something that sparked imagination (IF, 2015). He had passion for something nobody thought was passion-worthy; this passion was drawing. Dropping out of high school early, Walt was offered his first technical job where he learned about the fascinating industry of animation. Shortly after receiving the job, he was let-go. He realized his passion for animation and wanted to put the small amount of knowledge about the animation industry to good use, he gathered a few of his friends and started a business. They gave themselves a much-needed name: Laugh- O Gram Company (Thank You Walt Dinsey, Inc., n.d.). An animation company where films about politics and popular gossip were created with a comical twist. However, not very long into the start of the company, there were many signs of struggle. Poor financial experience led to poor financial decisions, putting a hole on the company’s funds. Additionally, the competition with more popular companies was brutal. Walt was not a man known for giving up. Sacrifice after sacrifice, Walt was doing anything he could to keep the Laugh-O-Gram Company alive; he simply wanted nothing more than to see it succeed. Despite Walt’s efforts and the efforts of others on his team, the company hit rock-bottom. The Laugh- O-Gram Company was
…show more content…
After getting a feel for the ferry business, Cornelius understood the wants of customers. Thinking of ways to attract more customers, he thought of a brilliant strategy; charging lowers wages (Institute, n.d.). Simple as it seems, it worked, and his reasoning was that people did not need to spend high amounts of money, for unnecessary luxury travel. The business man competed with the high-cost means of transportation. Eventually after steady success and stability, Vanderbilt upgraded to several more luxury ventures, while still maintaining low ridding …show more content…
The New York City railroad helped influence the growth and spread of railroads. By participating in this business, Vanderbilt had an impact on the industrial revolution, connecting the country and enabling it’s efficiency, while also providing jobs for many individuals. (The Men Who Built America, n.d.) One of the most important accomplishments of Vanderbilt was building the Grand Central station in New York. The Grand Central was a huge railroad station, where all three major railroads connected. In fact, the station and well-known clock are still standing today. Cornelius Vanderbilt is considered to be one of the “Men Who Built America.” (The Men Who Built America,

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The railroad finally made a connection across the Chesapeake Bay in April 1885, something which hadn’t been accomplished before, an engineering feat which was revolutionary for its time (Eastern). This connection would save countless hours of time due to taking a more direct route from East to West and West to East. Alexander Cassatt’s railroad opened under the name “New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad (NYP&N)” (Transportation). This railroad would play an essential role in helping move people, food, supplies, etc.…

    • 928 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    His rails connected large cities such as New York city to Chicago. Shipping on railroads was fast and cheap because of competing railroads. Vanderbilt would charge cheaper fairs so more people would ship with his railroad driving other business to go bankrupt. The american people had never had good be so cheap in any other time in history before than. This led to many americans…

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Cornelius Vanderbilt was a disrespectful, ugly, genius shipping and railroad tycoon whose parents were farmers and he grew up with no education. “In New York, 1871 Vanderbilt was in the Grand Central Depot, the terminal for New York Central Railroad was constructed with features like elevated platforms , a glass balloon roof spanning all the tracks and boarding areas only accessible to passengers”. He made railroad much better than it was by making it cheaper and efficient. He mastered steamboat design when steamboats were new technology.…

    • 253 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Civil War is now over, country is still divided. America's democracy seen as a failed experiment by other countries, but it's the opposite, it is the start to a new era and more advancements. Cornelius Vanderbilt was one man who helped with America's advancements. He once owned a single ferry, but it soon became a fleet of ships in which they carried cargo and passengers all over the country. Over the next 40 years he built the largest shipping empire in the world and became known as the Commodore.…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    ANALYZING THE LIFE OF CORNELIUS VANDERBILT Yaran Zhang Student #: 220 RedID: 816353168 Introduction To understand the evolution of business in America, one must first analyze the great men and women that heavily contributed to the sector. The book “The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt” by T. J Styles looks at Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of the greatest historical figures in business, analyzing his success, struggle, contributions, and overall life. Almost all trade moguls and tycoons have admitted that Vanderbilt was one of the few men that made tremendous impacts to the American economy by heavily influencing the transportation sector. Vanderbilt story embodies the American dream where an individual rises from nothing to greatness.…

    • 1161 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The powerful Industrialists of the gilded age are often negatively connotated, due to the deceptive behavior and questionable activities that they are known to have partaken in. Four notable men of this standing were John D. Rockefeller, monopolizer of the oil industry, Andrew Carnegie, in the steel industry, J.P. Morgan, a financier and banker, and Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was wealthy and powerful in the railroad industry and built the Transcontinental railroad. Although they were in many ways corrupt, these men were all very powerful and skilled businessmen, as well as being charitable people. They were credited with the transformation of America's Industrial and economic functioning, so it is often debated whether they should be remembered…

    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Transcontinental railroad could be defined as the most epic change in America in the 19th century. The railroad played a very important role in westward expansion and on the growth and development of the American economy, however, the railroad might not have been constructed if it weren’t for the generosity of the federal government. The federal government provided land grants and financial aids to railroad companies to guarantee the construction. The transcontinental railroad contributed to the construction of industry and the market economy in America and forever changed the American lifestyle. The Transcontinental Railroad didn’t only effect Americans, though.…

    • 1089 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Brilliant Essays

    Sonora Gillespie Dr. Michael Perri History 1302 6 May 2015 Transformation of the Nation The transcontinental railroad network transformed post-Civil War America into a booming industry. The nation was finally physically bound from coast to coast. The railroad touched numerous phases of American life.…

    • 1304 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Brilliant Essays
  • Superior Essays

    How would your early life influence your dreams? Raised in a family with diminutive resources, Cornelius Vanderbilt is a prime example of one who worked hard and moved from poverty to prosperity. In his lifetime, Vanderbilt became not only an innovative force but also a prosperous and powerful businessman. When questioned about his personal education, Vanderbilt once said, “If I had learned education, I would not have had time to learn anything else.” Cornelius Vanderbilt took the shipping and the rail industry to the next level, which provided valuable jobs and changed the lives of the American people.…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    From 1840 to 1860 the total trackage length in the US increase more than nine times. Railroads in the mid 1800s were booming across America, following them was many radical changes. One of the first evident changes was one of independence; train lines diverted traffic from water ways, this in turn made the West in addition to the South more independent from their Northeastern counterparts. Rail lines were important for expansion across the nation, thousands of people used them to move Westward. People in the Western part of the nation were now able to trade more efficiently; their goods could be transported for export quickly.…

    • 288 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Industrial Revolution Dbq

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages

    They were also able to raise large funds for building the road, but instead of using this money for the road it went right into their hands. During the year of 1872 the Crédit Mobilier scandal was brought to light and a year later in 1873 they had to deal with a big consequence that was put upon them politically. The railroad industry during this time was a very important part of the economic health of America. Actually I would like to reference something along those lines that I found would back up my statement “the root cause of the depression of 1873 was railroad collapse.…

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cornelius Vanderbilt was an industrial businessman who made his fortune in the railroad business (John 2012). The railroad system was a highly anticipated new technology that began with the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869. With rapid expansion, the railroad system bridged the regions of the country and triggered major economic growth for decades. Rapid consolidation of independent railroad systems occurred with the key robber barons being Cornelius Vanderbilt, J. P. Morgan, and James J. Hill (Crawford 2013). Consolidation led to monopolies that set…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Sydnie Holder 3.9.16 Mr. Modica Early American History Impacts of the Transcontinental Railroad Since the dawn of time man has strived to be on the move, exploring the unknown and seeking news ways of getting from one point to another. The innovation of transportation gave people the gift of exploration and traveling to places they have never been able to go before. During the early 1800s the main modes of travel were wagons, horses or on-foot, causing travel to be difficult and sluggish. This drove people to discover a more efficient way of travel, which resulted in the creation of trains. Due to this invention people were able to travel farther and at faster paces.…

    • 1783 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction The Walt Disney Company characterizes a truly massive business composed of four strategic professional units (SBUs) which, with the consideration of the consolidated revenue, represented roughly a whopping 35.5 billion dollars in 2007. The four SBUs are Disney Consumer Products, Studio Entertainment, Parks and Resorts, and Media Networks Broadcasting, and these can be further subdivided into 28 categories and are composed of a surplus of brands. The only two fundamental commonalities that can be deduced upon inspection of the entirety of the Walt Disney Company’s holdings are entertainment and information. Every business activity the organization is engaged in is related in some manner to providing its consumer base entertainment…

    • 1099 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Walt Disney Company is to ensure that the company’s vision and mission are communicated to every single employee. (Theodore, 2013) Disney Company’s mission is “To be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the…

    • 1129 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays