In regard to the Industrial period, a "robber baron" was someone who was thought of as immoral and deceitful, who used others to make money, while a "captain of industry" was someone who was a great leader that used his success for the benefit of the mankind. The successful businessmen of the industrial period were often referred to as "robber barons", however they deserve the title of "captains of industry", because just as the country was experiencing new things, the industrialists were trying many new things in the business world in order to form a more stable and profitable economy. Industrialists such as Cornelius Vanderbilt, Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, John Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan, let nothing get in their way of achieving success. Although their methods of achieving success were sometimes questioned or considered immoral, the ways these businessmen used their success and wealth to benefit the nation, as well as other people, far outweighs any wrong they may have done on their path to success. .
One great "captain of industry" was Cornelius Vanderbilt. Cornelius Vanderbilt first began working in 1810 as a ferryman between Staten Island and New York City. He quickly moved up from the low-paying job however, when in 1829 he established his own steamboat business. By 1846, Vanderbilt was one of the richest men in America. In 1862, he sold the steamboat business and shifted his interests to railroads. He began buying stock in the New York and Harlem Railroads and eventually became the President. In 1872 he bought the Hudson River Railroad and the New York Central and consolidated them all as the New York Central Railroad. By 1873 he had successfully linked Chicago to New York by railway. Vanderbilt continued to be very successful in the Railroad business due to his extremely high standards of excellence, and his ruthlessly competitive nature. Throughout his lifetime, Cornelius Vanderbilt donated large amounts of money to various organizations, some of which include The New York College of Physicians & Surgeons, The New York General Theological Seminary, and Yale University.