Cornelius Vanderbilt

Cornelius Vanderbilt became the wealthiest man in America in the mid-19th century by dominating the growing countrys transportation business. Starting out with one small boat plying the waters of New York Harbor, Vanderbilt eventually assembled a vast transportation empire. When Vanderbilt died in 1877, his fortune was estimated to be in excess of $100 million.   Though he never served in the military, his early career operating boats in the waters surrounding New York City earned him the nickname â€Å"The Commodore.† He was a legendary figure in the 19th century, and his success in business was often credited to his ability to work harder — and more ruthlessly — than any of his competitors. His sprawling businesses were essentially prototypes of modern corporations, and his wealth surpassed even that of John Jacob Astor, who earlier had held the title of Americas richest man. It has been estimated that Vanderbilts wealth, relative to the value of the entire American economy at the time, constituted the largest fortune ever held by any American. Vanderbilts control of the American transportation business was so extensive that anyone wishing to travel or ship goods had no choice but to contribute to his growing fortune. Early Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt was born May 27, 1794, on Staten Island, in New York. He was descended from Dutch settlers of the island (the family name had originally been Van der Bilt). His parents owned a small farm, and his father also worked as a boatman. At the time, the farmers on Staten Island needed to transport their produce to the markets in Manhattan, located across New York Harbor. Vanderbilt’s father owned a boat used to move cargo across the harbor, and as a boy young Cornelius worked alongside his father. An indifferent student, Cornelius learned to read and write, and had an aptitude for arithmetic, but his education was limited. What he really enjoyed was working on the water, and when he was 16 he wanted to buy his own boat so he could go into business for himself. An obituary published by the New York Tribune on January 6, 1877 told the story of how Vanderbilt’s mother offered to loan him $100 to buy his own boat if he would clear a very rocky field so it could be farmed. Cornelius began the job but realized he would need help, so he made a deal with other local youths, getting them to assist with the promise that he would give them rides on his new boat. Vanderbilt successfully finished the job of clearing the acreage, borrowed the money, and bought the boat. He soon had a thriving business moving people and produce across the harbor to Manhattan, and he was able to pay back his mother. Vanderbilt married a distant cousin when he was 19, and he and his wife would eventually have 13 children. Vanderbilt Prospered During the War of 1812 When the War of 1812 began, forts were garrisoned in New York Harbor, in anticipation of an attack by the British. The island forts needed to be supplied, and Vanderbilt, already known as a very hard worker, secured the government contract. He prospered during the war, delivering supplies and also ferrying soldiers about the harbor. Investing money back into his business, he bought more sailing ships. Within a few years Vanderbilt recognized the value of steamboats and in 1818 he began working for another businessman, Thomas Gibbons, who operated a steamboat ferry between New York City and New Brunswick, New Jersey. Thanks to his fanatical devotion to his work, Vanderbilt made the ferry service very profitable. He even combined the ferry line with a hotel for the passengers in New Jersey. Vanderbilt’s wife managed the hotel. At the time, Robert Fulton and his partner Robert Livingston had a monopoly on steamboats on the Hudson River thanks to a New York State law. Vanderbilt fought the law, and eventually the U.S. Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Marshall, ruled it invalid in a landmark decision. Vanderbilt was thus able to expand his business further. Vanderbilt Launched His Own Shipping Business In 1829 Vanderbilt broke away from Gibbons and began operating his own fleet of boats. Vanderbilt’s steamboats plied the Hudson River, where he reduced fares to the point that competitors dropped out of the market. Branching out, Vanderbilt began steamship service between New York and cities in New England and towns on Long Island. Vanderbilt had dozens of steamships built, and his ships were known to be reliable and safe at a time when travel by steamboat could be rough or dangerous. His business boomed. By the time Vanderbilt was 40 years old he was well on his way to becoming a millionaire. Vanderbilt Found Opportunity With the California Gold Rush When the California Gold Rush came along in 1849, Vanderbilt began an ocean-going service, taking people bound for the West Coast to Central America. After landing in Nicaragua, the travelers would cross to the Pacific and continue their sea journey. In an incident that became legendary, a company that partnered with Vanderbilt in the Central American enterprise refused to pay him. He remarked that suing them in court would take too long, so he would simply ruin them. Vanderbilt managed to undercut their prices and put the other company out of business within two years. He became adept at using such monopolistic tactics against competitors, and businesses who went up against Vanderbilt were often made to suffer. He did, however, have a grudging respect for some rivals in business, such as another steamboat operator, Daniel Drew.   In the 1850s Vanderbilt began to sense that more money was to be made in railroads than on the water, so he began scaling back his nautical interests while buying up railroad stocks. Vanderbilt Put Together a Railroad Empire By the late 1860s Vanderbilt was a force in the railroad business. He had bought up several railroads in the New York area, putting them together to form the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, one of the first great corporations. When Vanderbilt tried to gain control of the Erie Railroad, conflicts with other businessmen, including the secretive and shady  Jay Gould and the flamboyant Jim  Fisk, became known as the Erie Railroad War.  Vanderbilt, whose son William H. Vanderbilt was now working with him, eventually came to control much of the railroad business in the United States. Vanderbilt lived in a lavish townhouse and owned an elaborate private stable in which he kept some of the finest horses in America. Many afternoons he would drive a carriage through Manhattan, enjoying moving along at the fastest possible speed. When he was nearly 70 years old his wife died, and he later remarried a younger woman who encouraged him to make some philanthropic contributions. He provided the funds to begin Vanderbilt University. After a prolonged series of illnesses, Vanderbilt died on January 4, 1877, at the age of 82. Reporters had been gathered outside his townhouse in New York City, and news of the death of The Commodore filled newspapers for days afterward. Respecting his wishes, his funeral was a fairly modest affair. He was buried in a cemetery not far from where he grew up on Staten Island. Sources: Cornelius Vanderbilt.  Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 15, Gale, 2004, pp. 415-416. Cornelius Vanderbilt, A Long and Useful Life Ended, New York Times, 1 Jan. 1877, p. 1.

Comparing The Nile, Mesopotamia, And Indus Civilizations

Comparing the Nile, Mesopotamia, and Indus Civilizations The civilizations of the Nile River valley, the Mesopotamia valley, and Indus Valley marked human progress toward fixed settlements and the development of a rich culture. These civilizations shared many characteristics that contributed to their success. What made these civilizations unique were the contributions that each one gave to the world. They contributed their own ideas and accomplishments in the areas of religion, science, and mathematics. These contributions defined each civilization and how they would be remembered, as well as, their importance to the world. These three civilizations created cultures that built societies and people for future generations. Starting around 3100 BC they began. The rule of King Menes began the Egyptian civilization by unifying the Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom (Duiker and Speilvogel 17). The Mesopotamian civilization located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, began wi th the Sumerians people (Duiker and Speilvogel 9). Also, in now what is modern day India, another civilization began. It was located in the Indus River Valley with the Harappan people (Duiker and Speilvogel 38). Three early civilizations laid the foundation for what would be the progression of future civilizations, all of which would greatly influenced the world. All of these places had consecutive civilizations that eventually collapsed, even though each preceding civilization influencedShow MoreRelatedComparing The River Valley Civilizations1509 Words   |  7 PagesComparing and Contrasting River Valley Civilizations In the following treatise, the research that will be presented will provide criteria involving similarities and differences in three attributes of life in the four primary river valley civilizations. The river valley civilizations are composed of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, and China. While each of these civilizations is unique in their habits and traditions, they share many similar qualities. For this work to be as comprehensive asRead MoreComparing Religious And Political Authority Of Early Civilizations1352 Words   |  6 PagesComparing Religious and Political Authority of Early Civilizations Civilization can be defined along lines of a sophisticated state of human society, whereby a high level of culture and science, as well as industry and government has been attained. This paper compares civilization in the line of authority, both in religious and political spheres among the three groups; Mesopotamia, Nile in Egypt and Indus Valley (Mahenjodaro and Harrapa) in India. Mesopotamia Political organization The name MesopotamiaRead MoreAp World History Units 1-3 Study Guide Essay4374 Words   |  18 Pagesagriculture 5. Characteristics of complex civilizations * Specialization of labor * Trade and cultural diffusion * Written languages * Complex political order and power 6. Evidence proves that the Mesopotamians * Traded extensively with peoples as far away as Anatolia, Egypt, India 7. Major effect of Neolithic Revolution * The establishment of sedentary village communities 8. Conditions for women in Mesopotamia * Grew increasingly worse over

Personal training free essay sample

I have a passion for action sports, physical fitness and wellbeing. There is no better feeling in the world than being healthy. Along with being healthy, comes physical fitness and athleticism. But accomplishing these goals is no easy task. Athletes don’t wake up every day physically in top shape and able to perform their best athletically without hours on top of hours of hard work and proper dieting. Not many athletes know the ins and outs of proper training and dieting, which is why they refer to a personal trainer for the tips and advice they need to succeed. A major in Kinesiology is an excellent way to gain the proper knowledge to help athletes get to where they need to be. As a personal trainer, you have many duties related to your job. Trainers are responsible for providing various personal training services that help members maximize their workout efficiency. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal training or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And to also improve physical fitness and wellbeing. Personal trainers demonstrate exercises. These vary, depending on his or her client’s level of fitness capability, age and weight. These demonstrated exercises could be as simple as a squat or as advanced as a power clean. It is important as a trainer to get to know your client. Such as their level of fitness, what they’re physically capable of performing. Personal trainer need to be able to determine what exercises can benefit their client or potentially harm them (California). Trainers are also responsible for creating a healthy diet plan for their client to follow, in order to help accomplish their fitness or health goals. This part of personal training is the most difficult. Diet plans can be very difficult for the average person to follow and keep track of. Just like the physical part of personal training, a diet plan very depending on client’s fitness goals, age and weight. For example, if a middle aged man is looking to lose a significant amount of weight, he would need to do a few things. First, in order to lose weight your body need to burn carbohydrates that have been consumed in the past twenty-four hours. Once your body has depleted all unused carbohydrates, it can now access your body’s stored fat source and start to burn it off. But in order to burn carbohydrates in the first place, he must engage in high intense exercises, which min in their late thirties usually don’t do. So what needs to happen is he must alter his diet to eat six times a day. The content of his diet would be low carbs and proteins. The reason for him to eat six times a day is to keep his metabolism running so he can burn fat during his daily routine. Along with a diet, comes exercise with his personal trainer. His workouts would consist of very low weight, with a high number of repetition. The reason for low weight workouts is because he would be low on carbs which would highly effect his strength. The high amount of reps will cause his muscles to fire quicker, causing him to burn carbohydrates then start burning stored fat (United). Trainers can work in many different places. For example, if a trainer has a group workout in urban areas, he could meet his clients at a local park or running trail. The most common place would be the gym, where a personal trainer can train one or more individuals. Trainers even go to clients homes for personal workouts. That’s usually the case for elderly people who would have a hard time leaving their home. Qualified trainers travel to hospitals to train rehabilitated patients who may have been injured in an accident and is in need to re-train their muscles (United). To become a trainer is not very difficult. A degree is not needed, but would be very beneficial. My personal trainer, Brodie Priestley recommended a degree in kinesiology and nutrition. Also having a background in sports and powerlifting benefit me. Even though a degree in not required, sources indicate it would do nothing but help (United States). During my interview I asked my trainer Priestley what made him choose kinesiology as his profession. â€Å"It was simple† Priestley replied. â€Å"My father was a world class power lifter, benching over five-hundred pounds as a senior in high school. So like every kid, I wanted to be just like my father. I fell in love with lifting weights and play sports. The more I lifted weights, the more results I saw and I began to feel better about myself,† Priestley explained. â€Å"I quickly got addicted to lifting weights and wanted to keep progressing. I began to educate myself more on lifting weights and ways to get bigger and stronger. My obsession with lifting weights and muscles development got to the point where I stopped playing sports to focus on powerlifting. † Priestley’s hard work was paying off as he took first place in numerous powerlifting events. â€Å"I wasn’t just winning, I was blowing my competition out of the water,† Priestley explained. Priestley worked his way up to become the number three power lifter in the nation, and later broke the world record in bench press for his weight class. â€Å"It was obvious that I was good at what I did, so I wanted to help others accomplish their physical fitness goals. So I began Personal training at a local gym. I quickly fell in love with helping others and seeing them progress. It’s a cool feeling, I couldn’t be happier with what I’m doing† Priestley explained to me. I asked Priestley what he though was the toughest part about being a personal trainer. Priestley’s response was simple, he told me that â€Å"as long as you’re doing something you love, it doesn’t really matter what you do to get there. But I guess the hardest part of being a personal trainer would be getting some clients to trust you and to buy into your system. † Priestley continued on saying that some people who may have been out of shape most of their life have a hard time believing that they can lose weight and get in shape by following my weight loss program, which makes it difficult to train that individual. Next I asked Priestley what he liked most about his job. Priestley responded by saying â€Å"The best part of my job is seeing true results in my clients. There is no better feeling as a trainer knowing that you helped someone get healthy and physically fit. In most cases that is a life changing event for people who used to be highly over weight and unhealthy. That person can now walk around proud of their appearance and have all the confidence in the world, all because of my help. To me there is no better feeling. † Even though I learned that an education is not need to become a trainer, I asked Priestley what steps he took in school to get where he is today. Priestley told me that getting his master’s degree in kinesiology, and minor degree in nutrition was the smartest thing he has ever done. â€Å"My degree helped me in every way possible, I now have an edge on a lot of trainers that might not have a degree. But not only am I more educated but my degree gets me more business which is awesome! † Researching my career choice has reassured me that becoming a personal trainer is who I am going to become. My trainer has had the biggest impact on my decision. He has helped me so much and I’ve also seen him help many others. I learned that what you get out of training someone is the ultimate prize. In conclusion kinesiology is what I have chosen as my career choice.

The journey of the colonizer from the siege to the flight Essay Example For Students

The journey of the colonizer from the siege to the flight Essay Based before the revolt of 1857, both the books the siege of krishnapur and the flight of pigeons, singnify the short period through which the colonised captured a few lands of the colonizer in India and moved towards harsh treatments imposed in the same manner as the colonizer did. The British start their journey into India by settling in and aiming to provide India with better infrastructural facilities and exposing them to western culture. After seeing the wealth in India, the British exploit the Indians in every way possible to extract the maximum from them in means of wealth and skill. In both the books the natives revolt against the colonizer and take the British by surprise. In both the books the luxurious styles in which the British live are clearly prevalent in the books, the palaces they live in with Indian servants and their stupidness can also be seen as the men and women wear clothes made out of silk during the scorching summer heat. The unity of the British is dominant in both books, as we see that during the siege the British work together fighting against the natives while in the flight of pigeons the white pigeons referred to as the Britishers fly and land together. They begin their journey from the siege where they pass through all miseries of life, they go through situations which they in their wildest dreams would never have imagined to go through. The British are confined to the one residency in krishnapur where all the soldiers and their wives and children have taken shelter. They loose their people everyday and there are bodies piled up waiting to be buried, the smell of these corpses in unbearable. Soon the British are reduces to such animosity that they do not have water to drink nor food to eat. In such circumstances they make use of their surroundings. The women who are portrayed to be weak and feeble disprove themselves as weaklings and work with the men supporting them. Example of such women is Louise who is a very beautiful girl and has many admirers, she wears the same clothes for many days which are torn and she also helps doctors to cure the wounded patients. We will write a custom essay on The journey of the colonizer from the siege to the flight specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now She has also suffered tremendously during the siege. Diseases have caught every person in the residency as many of the people have given up hope. The Colonizers use all their armaments, they use clothes to stuff up the canon balls and light them. Such brutality was never faced by the whites. The fight continues for a long period of time, but finally the British preside over the residency due the external help offered by other british generals. During the journey of the colonizer, there is an attack on the imperialism of the British, where there are mass killings of British officers in the church and then houses of al the Britishers are burnt down thus occupying the town of Shahjanpur. The revolt against the British is seen in many places and soon at Delhi where the natives are overthrown by the British due to planning and the unity that existed in the British Empire. The Book shows how the British capture back their land. The story revolves around Mariam And Ruth Labadoor who have escaped the revolt against the British and stay with their faithful servant Lalaji. During their stay, one of the head sepoys Javed Khan come into Lalajis house and take away Mariam and Ruth. He takes them to his house where he lays down a proposal of marriage to Mariam for her daughter Ruth. The british are afraid of the actions of the natives as they may prove to be notorious. The two ladies along with Mariams mother who is a muslim take shelter at Javed Khans house and are at the mercy of Javed khan, they prey for the re-establishment of the British rule. Mariams is portrayed as a very strong lady who stands up for her daughter. She is not afraid of death as she stands in front of the sword and asks Javed Khan to kill her and her family or none would be touched. The pigeons are the British who we see are omens for the natives who are superstitious. The two mother and daughter re-unite with the British after Delhi is taken over by them and then Shahjanpur. .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f , .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f .postImageUrl , .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f , .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f:hover , .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f:visited , .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f:active { border:0!important; } .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f:active , .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u945b87f493a424ee8c0d27809da9d08f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's - Sherlock Holmes EssayIn both the books the strife of the natives is noticed against the British. The Natives lack the skill of planning, unity and other modern techniques of war which prevail in the European society. In the Siege of Krishnapur the natives show no pitty for the British and are unfriendly towards them. Hari the son of the Maharaja praises European culture and men but yet he is taken in to custody by the collector during the siege and kept as a slave, who could reconcile the disputes between the natives and suppress their revolt. But is later released due the trust and friend seen by hari in the collector. In the flight of pigeons a fter the attack at the church and destroying all life and property of the British, Lalaji the native who was loyal to the Labadoors gave shelter to the Labadoor family and provided them with food despite of the ignorance showed by his family members and the threat to his life. Such loyal Indians also existed who would lay down their lives for British. But the British would not do anything to show their grateful gestures but instead exploit Indians and reduce them to mere servants capable of doing only laborious work. The journey for the British may prove to be an eye opener for the coming years or it may just be another phase that passed by. The British then ruled India for another 100 years till India got their independence. The British went through the major hardships of life which were faced by the natives in their normal life. We can also compare Louise to Ruth, both are very beautiful and both have men running behind them, in the case of Louise its Fleury and in the case of Ruth its Javed Khan. In both the books towards the end only Louise and Ruth fall in love with their loved ones. While Fleury and Louise live together, Ruth and Khan dont. Javed Khan has to leave Ruth as he would not falter on his own words as he was a true pathan. But we can see the love that Ruth now had for Javed Khan. These books talk about the rise and fall of the British. But eventually the British triumph from the siege to the flight.