U.S History 11 Cornelius Timeline

By Addiana_Leguineche

  • Cornelius Vanderbilt's birthdate

    Cornelius Vanderbilt's birthdate
    Cornelius was born May 27th 1794 on Staten Island to his parents Phebe Hand and Cornelius Van Derbilt.

  • Bought first boat

    Bought first boat
    In 1810 Cornelius borrowed $100 from his mother and purchased his first boat which he used to ferry people.

  • War of 1812

    War of 1812
    During the war of 1812 Vanderbilt organized small fleets of boats with which he would supply government outposts around the city.

  • Marriage

    Marriage
    In 1813 Cornelius married Sophia Johnson, whom was his cousin, they eventually had 13 children.

  • Captain

    Captain
    In about 1818 Cornelius sold all his boats and went to work as a captain for Thomas Gibbons.

  • Starting his own business

    Starting his own business
    Using the experience gained from working as a captain in 1829 he would again start up his own steamboat business.

  • Steamboat company is a success

    Steamboat company is a success
    By 1846 his steamboat company was a success, he was a millionaire.

  • Gold Rush

    Gold Rush
    With the gold rush of 1849 Vanderbilt’s steamboats were a success. He only later quit the route when his rivals, whom he almost ruined, agreed to pay him $40,000. As much as it may seem he was about the money Vanderbilt once said, “I don't care half so much about making money as I do about making my point, and coming out ahead.”

  • Rivalry

    Rivalry
    In 1853 some of Cornelius’s rivals attempted to undermine his business, this is where his famous quote, “You have undertaken to cheat me. I won't sue you, for the law is too slow. I'll ruin you,” comes in. Sure enough approximately a year later he had put his rivals out of business.

  • Railroads

    Railroads
    In the mid 1850’s Vanderbilt turned his attention to railroads and trains he bought majority of the stock.

  • Owned the line

    Owned the line
    Him buying so much stock everntually led to him owning the line in 1863.

  • Erie railroad war

    Erie railroad war
    Cornelius battled Wall Street Traders for financial control over the Erie Railroad.

  • Railroads are successful

    Railroads are successful
    In 1873 Vanderbilt successfully was able to offer the first rail service from New York to Chicago.

  • Panic of 1873

    Panic of 1873
    During the panic of 1873 Cornelius ordered the construction of the Grand Central Depot, offering jobs to thousands who had become unemployed due to the panic.

  • Death

    Death
    In 1877, at the age of 82, Vanderbilt passed away. Over the years of his life he had amassed a wealth of approximately $100 million, more than what was in the U.S. treasury at the time.

  • Citations (added date so not to warp timeline)

    Citations (added date so not to warp timeline)
    Rogers, Kara. “Cornelius Vanderbilt.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cornelius-Vanderbilt-1794-1877. “Cornelius Vanderbilt.” YouTube, 27 Jan. 2016, https://youtu.be/FwH0ekDc01A. Accessed 16 Jan. 2023.