Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty

Some argue that the present time is another Gilded Age in the United States. Do you agree or disagree? Why? Be sure to compare a variety of aspects from the book to contemporary society, such as social norms and trends, philosophy, government, education, the economy, etc.

The authors refer to the myth of the self-made American, noting that it is a story Americans like to tell themselves with little basis in fact. How does the book’s portrayal of the Vanderbilts reinforce the myth, and how does it deconstruct the myth? Were the Vanderbilts self-made?

The tales of such extreme wealth in the book invite questions about the way a society should deal with wealth, especially in the face of equally extreme inequality. What is the book’s central argument about the role of wealth in American history?

Examine Alva (Vanderbilt) Belmont’s role in the women’s suffrage movement. How did her position in that movement help the cause, and how might it have been harmful? Can a person of her status do productive work in causes for justice?

The Gilded Age, which saw the rise of the Vanderbilt family to prominence, was followed by the Progressive Era. How were they different? How is the Progressive Era a reaction to the Gilded Age?

The court case for custody of Gloria Vanderbilt was called “the trial of the century,” and Alfred’s death on the Lusitania was a defining moment leading up to World War I. How has the Vanderbilts’ fame affected them as people, and what is the book’s argument about the role of fame in personal identity?

How do aspects of New York society described in Chapters 4 and 5 still exist today? In what ways has American culture reacted to the legacy of families like the Vanderbilts? How has American perception of wealth changed?

Several motifs of the book explore the concept of ownership, whether it’s ownership of a mansion like the Breakers or championship racehorses. How does the Vanderbilt’s relationship to property and ownership function as a broader symbol or representation of the power dynamics in American society at large?