The first Vanderbilt wasn't satisfied after becoming a New York shipping magnate.
Then, during the California gold rush, he carved out a shipping route from New York to California, which was popular because it greatly reduced travel time and costs.
Then the civil war broke out, and the Vanderbilt family made one of its most successful investments. They supported the Lincoln government. They shipped Union soldiers to the north and made an indelible contribution to the unification of the United States.
After the reunification of the United States, the Vanderbilt family reaped the benefits of their political investment. They became the real transportation tycoon and gained the railway transportation resources on the basis of their original shipping system.
