1. The Men Who Built America

2.  1794-1877  Gained his wealth through a massive shipping and railroad empire  He owned most of the railroads in America  Created Grand Central Station in New York  Donated money to start a university which would later be named Vanderbilt University after him  His Grandson built the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC

3.  1839-1937  Started the business called Standard Oil  Dominated the new oil industry, we still use oil and gasoline today to heat our homes and drive our cars  First American Billionaire  Adjusting for inflation, he is considered to be the richest person in history

4.  1835-1919  Scottish immigrant  Led to the expansion of the US Steel Industry  Steel was found to be much stronger than iron and was used to build the enormous buildings, skyscrapers and bridges we see today  Later in his life he sold his steel company to JP Morgan for $480 million (worth 13.6 billon today)

5.  1837-1913  Involved in Banking and Financing  Formed General Electric with the help Thomas Edison  Later bought US Steel Corporation from Carnegie  Had significant influence over the Nation’s finances

6.  1863-1947  Founder of the Ford Motor Company  He did Not invent the car  However, by using the idea of an Assembly Line he was able to make cars faster and cheaper than anyone before  This made the car available for average US citizens to buy, where before only rich people could afford cars