The Social War That Built America's Greatest Mansions

The Social War That Built America's Greatest Mansions (Vanderbilts v.s. Astors) In eighteen eighty three, two of the richest families in America went to war. They did not fight with weapons. They fought with marble, gold leaf, and chandeliers the size of carriages. On one side stood the Astors. Their fortune came from fur pelts and Manhattan real estate. They had ruled New York society for half a century. On the other side stood the Vanderbilts. Their money came from steamships and railroads. They had more wealth than the Astors ever dreamed of. But wealth alone could not buy what they wanted most. Public Domain Photos from: Library of Congress Wikimedia Commons (Non-restricted) Copyright Disclaimers • We use images and content in accordance with the YouTube Fair Use copyright guidelines • Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: “Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.” #astor #vanderbilt #railroadempire