New series in Read On: Germans and the American Dream – John Jacob Astor, America’s first multimillionaire

Neues Jahr, neue Themen: In diesem Jahr widmen wir uns in einer neuen Reihe dem viel beschworenen „American Dream“. Jeden Monat stellen wir in einem Porträt eine:n deutsche:n Auswanderer:in vor, der oder die sich auf der anderen Seite des Atlantiks einen Namen gemacht und den Amerikanischen Traum gelebt hat. Den Auftakt macht in der aktuellen Ausgabe der Read On Johann Jakob Astor, der ein Handelsimperium, ein beachtliches Vermögen und eine einflussreiche Dynastie aufgebaut hat. Vom Tellerwäscher zum Millionär – auf Astor trifft es ganz genau zu. Einen Auszug aus dem Artikel lesen Sie hier.

John Jacob Astor, America’s first multimillionaire

Astor left his tiny German village behind, went to America, built a trading empire, and founded a family dynasty.

By Franziska Lange

1                 The Astors, a family of businessmen, real estate moguls and philanthropists, are one of America’s richest and most famous dynasties. They built some of the most elegant hotels the world has ever seen – as well as an incredible fortune.

2                 And it all started in the 18th century with an almost penniless German immigrant who crossed the Atlantic in search of a better life.

3                 John Jacob (originally Johann Jakob) Astor was born into a poor family on July 17, 1763, in a tiny village called Walldorf in Baden-Wuerttemberg. He had heard that anyone could make it in America, but he didn’t have the money to travel there.

4                 One of Astor’s brothers was building musical instruments in London. When he was 18, Astor went to work with him. Eventually, he scraped together enough money to go to America.

5                 In March 1784, Astor arrived in Baltimore, Maryland. He had come to help his brother with his musical instrument business, but, once there, Astor learned that there was money to be made in the fur trade. He decided to try his hand at that.

6                 Astor started his own fur trading business, the American Fur Company. The company would become America’s first modern trading empire and make Astor a leading figure in the fur trade.

7                 By 1800, Astor had a fortune of $250,000, an incredible sum at a time when a family could live off $800 for a year. But Astor wanted more money and more power.

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Den vollständigen Artikel lesen Sie in der aktuellen Ausgabe der Read On.

Vocabulary

0–1             trading empire Handelsimperium — to found s.th. den Grundstein für etw. legen — real estate mogul Immobilienmagnat(in) — philanthropist Wohltäter(in); Mäzen(in) — incredible unglaublich; h.: sagenhaft — fortune Vermögen

2–4             penniless mittellos — to make it es schaffen (Erfolg haben) — eventually schließlich — to scrape together (Geld) zusammenkratzen

5–7             fur trade Pelzhandel — to try one’s hand at s.th. sich in etw. versuchen — leading figure führende Persönlichkeit — to live off s.th. von etw. leben (können)

Photo: Pixabay/Prawny