178.2 - The Vanderbilts and the Biltmore Estate
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Hi, everybody. My name is Shawna, and this is the American English Podcast. My goal here is to teach you the English spoken in the United States. Through common expressions, pronunciation tips, and interesting cultural snippets or stories, I hope to keep this fun, useful, and interesting. Let's do it.

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to the second part of episode number 178. Today, we'll be talking about the Vanderbilts and the Biltmore Estate. So this episode is kind of very interesting, in my opinion. We're going to be talking a lot about wealth and extravagance.

focusing on the legacy of one of the wealthiest families in U.S. history, the Vanderbilts. We'll talk about the Biltmore Estate, which is the largest privately owned home in the United States and is located in Asheville, North Carolina, near me. And yeah, it's one of the most popular tourist destinations here. There are stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Perfect Gardens to Walk Through will cover other reasons you should visit it later in this episode. If you want to know how some of the most affluent American families, including the Vanderbilts, amassed their fortunes, keep listening. The names you'll hear today and their accomplishments are 100% relevant, but

Because these families were fundamental in building the United States you know today. Their names appear all over the place. You'll hear them. You'll see them. They are relevant. As usual, I'll introduce challenging vocabulary as I go along. So grab a pen and paper to take notes or sign up to premium content.

The premium content for this episode includes the annotated PDF transcript, vocabulary list, listening comprehension quiz, podcast reader, and more. Be sure to check out the episode notes for the link for that or visit AmericanEnglishPodcast.com.

Before we begin, I'd like to remind you that we've talked about money in a few other episodes. In episode 28, we discussed the expression to give your two cents and also talked about tipping culture in the U.S. Why do we tip and so many other countries don't? How much should you tip?

In episode 79, I talked about the faces on our money. That episode was really fun for me. If you're in the U.S., chances are you walk around every day with money in your wallet, bills and coins, and on the front of those there are certain people. Who are they? Why are they famous? You'll learn that in episode 79.

So once again, that's episode 28 and 79. Check those out. Without further ado, let's begin today's episode. In the United States, some last names or surnames are often associated with wealth. Rockefeller, Carnegie, Vanderbilt.

These names evoke an image of success, power, and influence in areas like business, politics, and philanthropy. When I hear Rockefeller, Carnegie, or Vanderbilt, I immediately think of old money, people who changed the United States years ago and have lasting legacies.

The Rockefeller family, for example, is synonymous with immense wealth. John D. Rockefeller, who founded Standard Oil in the late 19th century, became the first billionaire in the U.S. At one point in time, he owned 90% of the oil industry. Can you imagine?

If you've ever been to New York City, you're probably familiar with the Rockefeller Center. Throughout the year, you can go to the top, to the top of the rock, and have breathtaking views of Central Park and the rest of the city.

The Rockefeller name is one to remember. They've helped found universities, built the Rockefeller Foundation, and are big supporters of advancements in education, medicine, and science. Once again, Rockefeller money started with oil. Then I mentioned Carnegie.

The Carnegie name is linked back to Andrew Carnegie, who was known as the captain of the steel industry. In his lifetime, he donated most of his money to education, libraries, and cultural institutions, which is why you see the name everywhere. I think he helped create about 2,500 libraries, if I'm not mistaken.

For a musician, playing at Carnegie Hall is the top of the top. It's one of the most prestigious concert venues in the world because of its near-perfect acoustics and just the design. So I mentioned the Rockefellers and the Carnegies, oil and steel.

And that brings me to the Vanderbilts. The Vanderbilt family built their fortune in railroads and shipping during the 19th century. They controlled the New York Central Railroad at a time when New York City was a hub of industrialization. What do these three families have in common?

Well, all three families built their wealth in industries that were essential to the infrastructure of the U.S. Oil, steel, railroads, and shipping? They provided the materials for the Industrial Revolution. Let that sink in for a second.

During the first and second industrial revolutions, the U.S. was growing at a speed faster than it had ever grown previously. Factories were being built. Cities were developing. The Rockefellers, Carnegies, and Vanderbilts had the means to make it happen. All of them, John, Andrew, and Cornelius, had go-big-or-go-home-type mentalities.

What's unique about this time frame is that there was little government regulation. So a lot of what they were doing, all of their business transactions, were largely unchecked. All of them created monopolies or near monopolies in their respective industries. Do you know what a monopoly is?

A monopoly is when one company or entity is the only provider of a product or service. We say they have a monopoly. Now, if you've ever played the game Monopoly, which is that popular around the world? I'm not so sure. In the US, it's very popular. But you'll know that the winner of the game is loaded. They earn a lot of fake paper cash.

So that was the same with these three men. They were loaded. Actually, let's go through some vocabulary. This is very important because there are some nice, polite words, polite adjectives to describe someone who has a lot of money and more casual terms. The least awkward terms are wealthy, affluent, and well-off. Listen to these examples.

Look at that fancy car. He must come from a wealthy family. He was able to go to a top-rated high school because he lived in an affluent neighborhood. Yes, she is definitely well off. She doesn't need financial aid. These words are neutral.

If you ever have to talk about money with people who have a lot of it, which can be kind of awkward, these are safe words. Once again, wealthy, affluent, and well-off. When people in the U.S. speak informally with our friends, we use different vocabulary. Look at that fancy car. He must be loaded.

loaded. Jeff Bezos is loaded. He's rich. He is filthy, stinking rich. Don't ask me why we like this combination in English, but filthy rich is a thing. And then we up it. We make it more intense by adding stinking to it. He's filthy, stinking rich. Yes. So the Vanderbilts and Jeff Bezos and all of these men

We're filthy stinking rich. We could also say he's rolling, rolling. Did you hear about Jeff's startup company? It took off and now he's rolling. Now, I'm not sure what the etymology is for rolling, but I imagine someone so rich they're rolling around in cash. It's kind of a good way to remember it. He's rolling. He's loaded. He's rich.

Now, these words are not so neutral, so be careful. Make sure to use these with friends or people you feel very comfortable with. In any case, the Vanderbilts were rolling. They were dominating the transportation industry. That brings me to the Vanderbilt story. So the Vanderbilt's family fortune began with Cornelius Vanderbilt, known as the Commodore.

He was born in 1794 on Staten Island, New York, which, as you probably know, is one of New York City's five boroughs. Borough is another way to say neighborhood. So there's Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. So Cornelius was from Staten Island.

Cornelius came from modest beginnings, which is a nice way to say that he wasn't born into a wealthy family. He came from modest beginnings. He left school at the age of 11 to work on his father's ferry boat. A ferry, you might know, it's a type of boat that carries passengers from one piece of land to another.

So I used to always take the ferry from Vallejo in California to San Francisco, just because I liked the nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge and you can buy donuts on there. Anyway, so he left school at the age of 11 to work on his father's ferry boat. At 16, he borrowed $100 from his mother to purchase a small ferry.

and began transporting goods and passengers between Staten Island and Manhattan. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment.

Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of $45 for three-month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com. If you've ever been to New York, you might be familiar with the Staten Island Ferry. It goes right by the Statue of Liberty. So just imagine young Vanderbilt, 16 years old, running that business.

Going back and forth between Staten Island and Manhattan, carrying freight and passengers, he took his job seriously. It was the early 1800s. So how did Cornelius the Commodore beat out competition? He offered much cheaper prices and more efficient services. Over time, other businesses had no way of surviving, and so he ended up dominating the steamboat industry.

Today, it's not possible to set prices so low that competitors are driven out of the market. Price-fixing or predatory pricing is highly regulated by the Federal Trade Commission, the FTC, and the Department of Justice.

But back then, there were no rules. Business was like the Wild West. Cornelius was a fierce businessman. He worked hard, and at the same time, he was ruthless. A ruthless person is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. And sometimes that involves disregarding the feelings or well-being of others.

Today, we often call ruthless business owners sharks. He was a shark. And what happens when a shark is hungry? It makes its next attack. For Cornelius, after dominating steamboats, he moved on to railroads. In the 1860s, Cornelius recognized the potential to revolutionize transportation.

He consolidated multiple rail lines, creating one of the first major rail networks in the U.S., which included the New York Central Railroad. So by the late 19th century, the Vanderbilt Railroad Empire spanned thousands of miles and connected the Northeast and Midwest.

This network, of course, facilitated trade and passenger movement. If anyone wanted to ship something in the Northeast or travel, and at the time this was the most populated area in the U.S., then they were contributing to Cornelius and the Vanderbilt family.

By the time of his death in 1877, he had an estimated fortune of $100 million, which is equivalent to about $2 billion today. He was the wealthiest American of his time. What do we call it when money and assets transfer from one generation to the next? Do you know? We call it inheritance.

A family might write a will, which is an official document, stating who gets what. And then a lot of times, children inherit a lot of the money or assets from their parents. So what happened to his money after his death? I didn't mention he had a wife, Sophie Johnson, and they had 13 children.

One of the most notable of the kids was William Henry Vanderbilt, who expanded the railroad business and earned even more money for the family. George Washington Vanderbilt II, the son of William and grandson of Cornelius, inherited a massive amount of money. He wasn't much of a businessman, but he was a great businessman.

He liked culture, fine art, nice things. And rather than saving a lot of money, he enjoyed spending the family fortune on things like the Biltmore Estate, which is currently the largest privately owned home in the U.S. Today, the property is on 8,000 acres. There's sustainable farms, livestock,

sprawling gardens, breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, highly rated restaurants, shops, inns, and more. It's honestly like Disneyland. A Disneyland of beautiful things.

Now, when I moved to Asheville last year, I immediately visited the Biltmore and was blown away. Not just by its extravagance, but the fact that it only took six years to complete. The house, I mean. Six years. Are you kidding me?

All I could think was, who built this four-story masterpiece in six years? Renovations on my house took almost a year, and they were significantly smaller. Then I learned it was Richard Morris Hunt, an architect who built some of the U.S.'s most iconic buildings, including the Met, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and even the base of the Statue of Liberty.

So let's talk about that a little bit. In 1889, over 1,000 workers got to work. Skilled craftsmen, including stonemasons, carpenters, blacksmiths, and artisans. They worked tirelessly until the project culminated on Christmas Eve...

1895. That's when the Biltmore estate was officially opened to friends and family, and they had a grand Christmas celebration. The mansion was designed to look like a chateau from the French Renaissance. There are gargoyles. There's intricate stonework on the facade. It's a sight for sore eyes. In other words, it is very pleasing to the eyes.

There are 250 rooms, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. Imagine stepping into this grand home back then. The soft glow of light illuminating intricately designed ceilings, the warmth of roaring fireplaces filling the air, once again, 65 of them,

and the faint echo of footsteps on marble floors. It's very similar to something you might see in Downton Abbey or Bridgerton. Many elegant rooms, perfectly designed, with spaces dedicated for hosting guests. Of course, in a house like that, you have to have fancy dinner parties and lots of guests.

For example, the banquet hall has a 70-foot ceiling with an organ. There's also a cozy library with over 10,000 books. If you've ever seen Beauty and the Beast, it looks very similar to the library that the beast shows to beauty. The thing is, George wasn't intellectual. So his collection had a bunch of rare books and manuscripts.

He also had a keen eye for art. He was a collector, and a lot of the artwork, paintings, sculptures, etc., are still on display when you visit today. But what really made this house stick out in terms of being advanced at the time was electricity. Thomas Edison patented the first successful light bulb in 1880.

So the Biltmore estate was one of the first properties in the region with lights. Not to mention the indoor plumbing system, an indoor swimming pool with lighting, and there's a bowling alley in the basement, a gym full of workout equipment, which was not commonplace at the time. At least not on such a large scale. Throughout history...

Society often has strong feelings about individuals who have a lot of money. Back then, it was no different. Mark Twain, who is a name you should also know, he's one of the most famous American authors, he called the era from the 1870s to about the 1900s the Gilded Age.

Because from the surface, everything looked golden and nice and shiny. But it wasn't really the reality for many people living in the U.S. So while the elite led lavish lifestyles, very fancy, extravagant, elegant lifestyles, there was also extreme wealth inequality and political corruption.

So this term gilded is kind of nice. It's a fancy word that means there is a thin layer of gold on top. So this wealth and this lavishness was sort of superficial in a way, at least for critics like Mark Twain.

Nowadays, we use that term Gilded Age to refer to a lot of these wealthy families building grand estates, the Rockefellers, the Carnegies, the Vanderbilts, etc.

The Biltmore estate is a good representation of the Gilded Age, but I think it's important to mention that George was not just out spending a ton of money, well, sort of, but according to the official Biltmore website, George Vanderbilt's vision for Biltmore was twofold. In other words, it had two parts, two pieces.

It was a place where he could relax and entertain friends and family, as well as a self-sustaining estate that would nurture the land and its resources for generations to come. The Biltmore established the first professionally managed forest in the United States.

It also sparked a movement in the U.S. for sustainable land and resource management. George's work, alongside the expertise of Pinchot and Schenck, the men he hired to work with him, helped shape modern forestry practices and inspire the conservation ethic that continues today.

So when you're on the property, you'll be surrounded by healthy trees, which of course give us clean air and work against climate change. Their certified tree farm has 5,700 acres of healthy trees. He also was a visionary. He wanted to create a self-sustaining estate that would blend European grandeur with American innovation.

In what other ways is the Biltmore self-sustaining? Well, they have a field-to-table program. Typically, you'll hear farm-to-table when you're in the U.S., but they say field-to-table.

The estate produces a variety of fresh foods for its restaurants, including free-range eggs, hormone-free meats, and a range of vegetables and herbs. So while you're walking around, you can see the things that you can eat in the restaurants. And guess what?

What goes around comes around. Literally, for them. They have a facility that can process 1,200 tons of restaurant and livestock waste per year that is used as fertilizer on the estate. So no chemicals, all pure. Pretty cool, huh? They put a lot of effort into making the property self-sustaining. Apart from the grand staircases...

and opulent bedrooms, George had two portraits hanging at the top of the second floor. One of his architect, Hunt, and one of his landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, the same man who created New York's Central Park. So what I thought was pretty cool was that he honored the artists. They are a very central part of the house.

And I think that goes to show how much George appreciated artists, artistry, and in whatever form. Because Olmsted transformed the surrounding forest into meticulously planned landscapes. There are gardens and multiple trails for hiking across the farmland. You can go past sheep and cows. You'll see a lot of milkweed.

which has been planted across the grounds to support threatened monarch butterfly populations. Before wrapping up today's lesson, I want to share three fun facts. The first is in relation to the Titanic. Now, George Vanderbilt and his wife, Edith, had tickets for the Titanic.

You remember the Titanic. We talked about the massive boat that sank in the Atlantic in episode 164.2. So it's a good thing they did not take that trip. They changed their plans at the last minute, which was a decision that ultimately saved their lives. If they had taken the Titanic, we might not have the Biltmore Estate. My second

Fun fact was that the Biltmore has been in numerous films, including The Last of the Mohicans and Hannibal. There's also a Hallmark movie called A Biltmore Christmas, which I think I'll be watching tonight. Hallmark movies are a thing here at Christmastime. They're always cheesy romance movies. Anyway, they're a thing. And number three is

The most visited winery in the U.S. is also at the Biltmore. The Biltmore Winery is right on the estate of

And once again, this is in Asheville, North Carolina. It's inside of a converted dairy barn and offers handcrafted wines. So you'll find reds, whites, rosés, and sparkling varieties, all crafted from estate-grown and locally sourced grapes. So when you visit, you also get complimentary tastings, which is kind of fun. So is it worth visiting?

100%! Like, absolutely! Today, the Biltmore Estate continues to captivate visitors. It's a really easy and quick way to get a glimpse of elite life in the Gilded Age. The Biltmore Estate opened to the public in 1930 as a way to generate income during the Great Depression. Today, it is one of North Carolina's most popular tourist attractions.

welcoming over a million visitors annually. Guests can tour the mansion, stroll through the gardens, explore Antler Village, which has a winery, restaurants, and shops. At Christmas time, it's especially magical, with over 100 decorated trees.

There's live classical music, so you can hear harpists and string quartets and choirs. There are also candlelit evenings. We went there last weekend. I have to say it's our go-to activity in Asheville when we have no other plans because the property is just so pretty. You should definitely check it out. Let's summarize what we learned.

It all began with Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was known as the Commodore. He's the one who amassed a grand fortune through his steamboat and railroad empires. That was back in the 19th century. His innovations in transportation played a vital role in the United States' industrial growth, making the Vanderbilt name

one that reminds you of wealth and ambition. Cornelius' success set the stage for his descendants to expand that influence into areas like architecture, the arts, and philanthropy. The family's legacy includes iconic landmarks like Grand Mansions in New York and Newport, Rhode Island,

but also, of course, the Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned house in the United States. That house is a symbol of the extravagance of the Gilded Age, which, as I mentioned, was not without criticism. The family was also a major patron of the arts and education.

We learned that George Washington Vanderbilt II was all about environmental conservation and founded the Biltmore Forest School. Cornelius, so his grandfather, also supported institutions like Vanderbilt University.

Their descendants include Gloria Vanderbilt, who carried the family's cultural influence into the 20th century as a fashion designer, and her son, Anderson Cooper, continues the legacy as a prominent journalist. You'll see him on TV.

So although the family fortune declined over time due to lavish spending and some challenges in maintaining estates, the Vanderbilt name remains a symbol of innovation and cultural impact. They have contributed vastly to various industries, to conservation, to the arts, and have left a mark on American history. So I hope you enjoyed this episode.

I hope you remember some of the details we learned about today and some of the vocabulary. Do you remember how to say politely that someone has a lot of money? They might be well-off, wealthy, or we might say they come from an affluent background or an affluent neighborhood. If you want to sound casual, you might say someone is loaded or filthy stinking rich, simply just rich or rolling.

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Until next time, plan your trip to Asheville, North Carolina. If you do, let me know. I would love to have a coffee with you. Bye.

Thank you for listening to this episode of the American English Podcast. Remember, it's my goal here to not only help you improve your listening comprehension, but to show you how to speak like someone from the States. If you want to receive the full transcript for this episode, or you just want to support this podcast, make sure to sign up to premium content on AmericanEnglishPodcast.com. Thanks and hope to see you soon.