(1794-1877), financier and businessman. Vanderbilt, called "Commodore" because of his shipping interests, amassed a steamship and railroad empire and pioneered the nation's transportation system. Beginning by forming ferry and schooner service in New York and along the East Coast, Vanderbilt eventually established a shipping line from the East Coast to California via Nicaragua during the gold rush. When river traffic fell during the Civil War, Vanderbilt gained control of the New York and Harlem Railroad in 1863 and the Hudson River Railroad in 1865. He merged these lines in 1869 with the New York Central Railroad, and by 1873 his lines stretched from New York City to Chicago. Vanderbilt's questionable business tactics contributed to instability in the stock market, and Congress and other authorities investigated his operations. He left a fortune of over $100 million to his family and endowed Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.
