How Did Cornelius Vanderbilt Make America

The end of the Civil War, lasting from 1861 through 1865, brought the uprising of a new America; the newly reunited Union had to rebuild itself from the damages of the war, primarily in the South. The railroads were destroyed in the southern territories, and the lack of modernization was a large factor in the North’s win in the war. The main campaigns of the Confederate forces had to withdraw into their territorial lines to get food, but their supplies were off in different areas due to the lack of mobility within the Confederate territory. Transportation was one of the key factors in the North’s win, and it later became what made America the country that it is today. When people think about selfmade entrepreneurs, those who may come to mind
Born on May 27th, 1794 ,to Cornelius and Phebe Vanderbilt, in Staten Island, New York; he was the youngest of four children. Cornelius’ father, Cornelius sr., was a seaman in Port Richmond, and he was impressed with the young Cornelius’ skills on the water. The death of Cornelius’ brother, Jacob, allowed Cornelius to drop out of school and work on the docks. Cornelius was an athletic child; he was often in rowing competitions and sailed like the master of the sea. This early exposure to the water and ‘seaman’ life brought young Cornelius the advantage of knowing how everything on the waters worked. He knew the sloops and schooners of the waters, which were as familiar to him as the back of his
His parents agreed, and he was transporting people and goods from Port Richmond. He was proud to have a boat of his own, and Cornelius once recalled, “ I didn’t feel as much real satisfaction when I made [millions in the corner of the New York & Harlem River Railroad] as I did on that bright May morning sixty years before when I stepped into my own periauger, hoisted my own sail and put my hands on my own tiller.” This was the start of Cornelius Vanderbilt’s business, his life, and, eventually, the start of America’s rise in the