Cornelius Vanderbilt

Cornelius Vanderbilt was an astonishingly successful businessman and cultural magnate who built a small economic fiefdom for himself following the American Civil War. Practically owning the entire North Eastern United States rail lines, Vanderbilt was a household name in his day and his influence was spread far and wide. 
== Facts: ==
-Vanderbilt, like so many other American entrepenuirs of this era, had a classic 'rags-to-riches' story behind him. Born into a relatively poor family, Vanderbilt never finished his education but worked his way up through various businesses until he started purchasing ships for himself. 
-His life-long investment in shipping (and later railroads) is where he got the title of 'Commodore' from. That, and he briefly served as a steamship captain. 
-Vanderbilt earned for himself a reputation as a brawler and as a very vindictive man. However, he was a highly industrious man and a proven philanthropist. 
-It cannot be understated how important Vanderbilt was in raising America up from the war-torn era following the Civil War into the economic powerhouse it was at the dawn of the twentieth century. Vanderbilt was a proud member of the Order of Seneschals and he raised their own influence up considerably during his career. Upon Vanderbilt's death, the Seneschals had eclipsed all of the other Ruling Orders for influence and position within both the SoL Chapter and the United States at large.
== References: ==
-https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cornelius-Vanderbilt-1794-1877
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_Vanderbilt
-https://www.history.com/shows/men-who-built-america
Category:Seneschal
Category:Sons Of Liberty