ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Biographics Leland Stanford: The Controversial Life of America’s Western Railroad Tycoon
Leland Stanford is a name that resonates with both controversy and philanthropy. Known as a “robber baron,” Stanford amassed his wealth through questionable means, leveraging his political influence as governor to benefit his private enterprises. Despite his controversial methods, Stanford is often remembered for his philanthropic efforts, particularly in his later years. This article explores the life of Leland Stanford, the man behind America’s first transcontinental railroad.
Leland Stanford was born on March 9, 1824, in Watervliet, New York. His parents, Josiah Stanford and Elizabeth Phillips, were descendants of immigrants who settled in Massachusetts before moving to New York. Leland was one of eight siblings, including Thomas Welton Stanford, who became a prominent figure in Australia. Growing up, Leland worked on his family’s farm and received a mix of local schooling and homeschooling. He later attended the Clinton Liberal Institute and studied law at Canandaigua’s seminary.
In 1845, Stanford moved to Albany to apprentice at a law firm. By 1848, he had passed the bar and opened his own practice in Port Washington, Wisconsin. Around this time, he married Jane Elizabeth Lathrop, and they had one child, Leland Stanford Jr. A devastating fire in 1852 destroyed his home and law library, prompting Stanford to move to California, where he opened a successful general store in Michigan Bluff.
Stanford’s interest in politics led him to join the Republican Party in California. He ran for state treasurer in 1857 and governor in 1859, losing both times. However, in 1861, he became the first Republican governor of California, benefiting from a split in the Democratic Party over slavery. His tenure began during the Great Flood of 1862, which saw Sacramento submerged, forcing the state legislature to temporarily relocate to San Francisco.
As governor, Stanford initiated projects to prevent future flooding, reduced state debt, and kept California in the Union during the Civil War. However, his anti-Chinese immigrant stance drew criticism, especially since he employed Chinese laborers for his railroad projects. Despite this, Stanford was not re-nominated for a second term.
In 1861, Stanford, along with Collis Huntington, Charles Crocker, and Mark Hopkins, formed the “Big Four” to invest in the Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR). This venture aimed to build the first transcontinental railroad, a project facilitated by Stanford’s political influence. The CPRR, built largely by Chinese laborers, was completed in 1869, connecting with the Union Pacific Railroad. This monumental achievement was symbolized by Stanford driving the golden spike that joined the two railroads.
Beyond railroads, Stanford invested in vineyards and racehorses. He founded the Palo Alto Stock Farm, which led to a significant moment in photography when Edward Muybridge captured a horse in motion, a precursor to motion pictures. However, Stanford’s most enduring legacy is Stanford University, founded in memory of his son, Leland Stanford Jr., who died of typhoid fever in 1884.
Stanford University opened in 1891 and has since become a prestigious institution, producing numerous Nobel laureates and influential figures. Despite financial challenges following Stanford’s death in 1893, the university thrived, largely due to his substantial endowment.
Interestingly, a mystery surrounds the Stanford family. In 1905, Jane Stanford died under suspicious circumstances involving strychnine poisoning. Despite evidence suggesting foul play, the case was never thoroughly investigated, leaving her death an unsolved mystery.
Leland Stanford’s life was marked by both controversy and significant contributions to American society. His legacy, particularly through Stanford University, continues to influence education and innovation worldwide.
Engage in a structured debate with your classmates about whether Leland Stanford should be primarily remembered as a “robber baron” or a philanthropist. Use evidence from the article to support your arguments and consider the impact of his actions on society both during his lifetime and today.
Conduct a research project on the construction of the transcontinental railroad. Focus on the role of the “Big Four” and the contributions of Chinese laborers. Present your findings in a multimedia presentation, highlighting the challenges and achievements of this monumental project.
Participate in a role-playing game where you assume the roles of key political figures during Stanford’s time. Develop strategies to navigate the political landscape, addressing issues such as state debt, immigration, and infrastructure projects. Reflect on how these strategies might have influenced Stanford’s career.
Analyze the founding and development of Stanford University as a case study. Examine how Leland Stanford’s vision and endowment shaped the institution. Discuss the university’s impact on education and innovation, and how it reflects Stanford’s legacy.
Write a creative short story or script exploring the unsolved mystery of Jane Stanford’s death. Use historical context from the article to create a narrative that delves into the possible motives and scenarios surrounding her suspicious demise.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
—
This video is brought to you by NordVPN. Give yourself options online by visiting nordvpn.com/biographics to get a two-year plan with a huge discount plus four additional months for free. More on them in a bit.
There’s no doubt that Leland Stanford deserved the title of robber baron. He relied on unscrupulous and immoral practices to achieve his fortune, using his influence as governor to benefit his private businesses. He rallied against immigrants but then used them to build his railroads because they were cheaper. Yet, this is not how he is usually remembered. Leland Stanford managed to shed the stigma of being a ruthless robber baron that still applies to many other industrialists of his time, mainly thanks to his philanthropy in his later years. Whether or not this is deserved, you can decide for yourself as we explore the life and the man behind America’s first transcontinental railroad, Leland Stanford.
Stanford was born on March 9, 1824, in Watervliet, New York, a town that no longer exists as it has been divided into several other towns. His parents were Josiah Stanford and Elizabeth Phillips, both descendants of immigrants who originally settled in Massachusetts before moving to New York State. Leland was their fourth son and had seven siblings, including a younger brother, Thomas Welton Stanford, who relocated to Australia and became known as the country’s father of spiritualism after founding the Victorian Association of Progressive Spiritualists.
Josiah Stanford was a successful farmer but insisted that all of his boys worked on the farm. Growing up, Leland did just that, and his education was split between local school and homeschooling. When he got a bit older, Leland was sent to the Clinton Liberal Institute prep school in Clinton, New York, and afterwards studied law at Canandaigua’s seminary. In 1845, the 21-year-old Leland Stanford moved to Albany, where he apprenticed at the law office of Wheaton, Doolittle, and Hadley. In 1848, he passed the bar and relocated to Port Washington, Wisconsin, where he opened his own practice. As a present, his father had assembled for Leland a law library said to be one of the most extensive in the entire country.
Around the same time, Leland Stanford met and fell in love with Jane Elizabeth Lathrop, the daughter of a successful merchant from Albany. The two got married in 1850 and would go on to have one child together, Leland Stanford Jr. Two of Stanford’s siblings died when they were young, but of the remaining six, Leland seemed to be the only one willing to settle down and lead a quiet life. All the others moved across the country to California, tempted by the new business opportunities provided by the Gold Rush. This interested Leland as well, but he seemed reluctant to leave his current life behind—at least until 1852, when his entire home burned down, including his beloved library. With nothing keeping him in Port Washington anymore, Stanford packed up his bags and headed to California while his wife returned to her family in Albany, New York, to wait for him to get settled.
Later that same year, Stanford made his way to Michigan City, California, known today as Michigan Bluff, and opened a general store there. It did pretty well due to its optimal location in the heart of mining country. Stanford was liked and respected by his peers and also served as a justice of the peace. He stayed there for a few years before selling the place and returning to his wife in Albany. Now that they were better off financially, the couple executed a permanent move to California, this time settling in Sacramento, where Stanford did business with his brothers.
Throughout his life, Leland Stanford showed an interest in politics. Once settled in California, he became an active member of the newly formed Republican Party, which mainly consisted of former Whig Party members. He attended the first convention of the California Republican Party, was named a delegate, and began running for office. He first ran for state treasurer in 1857 and then governor in 1859 but lost both elections since the opposing Democratic Party had a strong foothold in the state. Stanford ran again for governor in 1861, and this time things went differently. The Republicans benefited from turmoil within the Democratic Party over the issue of slavery, which led to a split in the party. This allowed the Republicans to swoop in and win the election. On September 4, 1861, Leland Stanford became the first Republican governor of California, with his inauguration on January 10, 1862.
However, it didn’t have what you would call an auspicious start. At the time, California and the surrounding states were experiencing the Great Flood of 1862, which remains the largest in California’s history. In December and January, the state saw almost 43 days of continuous rain. The rivers flowing down from the Sierra Nevada Mountains turned into powerful torrents that swept away houses and even entire shantytowns. On the day of Stanford’s inauguration, Sacramento’s levees broke, causing a flood that swallowed the streets. Even so, Stanford insisted on holding the ceremony, which was conducted by rowboat. Afterward, he had to enter his home through a second-story window because the first floor was entirely submerged. This situation lasted for months, forcing the new governor to temporarily move the state legislature to San Francisco.
One of Stanford’s first initiatives as governor was to begin a long-term project to raise Sacramento’s entire downtown district by 10 to 15 feet to prevent future flooding. As far as his other policies go, Stanford was credited with cutting the state debt in half, helping to preserve California’s forests, and keeping the state in the Union during the Civil War. He only served as governor for two years, being the last to do so before the length of the mandate changed to four years.
One controversy stemming from Stanford’s time as governor was his heavy stance against Chinese immigrants, whom he referred to as an inferior race. In his inauguration speech, he expressed concerns about the influence of Asian immigrants on the population. This caused backlash for the governor, not because of his words but because of his hypocrisy. Stanford was against Chinese immigration but had no problem using them as cheap labor to build his railroads. It is unclear how much this affected his political career, but he was not re-nominated for a second term and did not hold another political office for two decades.
In the same year that Leland Stanford was elected governor of California, he also embarked on a business endeavor that turned him into one of the richest men in America. Like many of his fellow robber barons, Stanford invested in the railroad. It all started with a civil engineer named Theodore Judah, who believed he had surveyed a viable route to traverse the mountains of California and into neighboring states. This section could then be joined with other railroads to form what was at the time the most ambitious engineering project in American history: the first transcontinental railroad.
Judah organized a meeting in Sacramento to outline his plans, but most attendees balked at his ideas. One man didn’t, and his name was Collis Huntington, one of the city’s most successful merchants. He held a private meeting with Judah and told him he would find more men willing to invest in his plans. Those men were banker Charles Crocker, merchant Mark Hopkins, and Leland Stanford. Together with Huntington, they were known as the “Big Four,” the main investors behind what became the Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR), with Stanford serving as president of the new company. The U.S. Congress chartered the rail company in 1862, and that same year, Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Acts to promote the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
Things were made much easier for the CPRR because its president also happened to be the governor of California. Throughout his two-year term, Leland Stanford used his political influence to assist his private business, securing land grants, loans, and other benefits. Construction on the railroad began in earnest in 1863, mainly handled by Charles Crocker. Leland Stanford also devoted himself to the railroad industry once his governorship ended, but he had a habit of frustrating his business partners by either staying silent for days or coming up with harebrained schemes.
Despite tensions between the Big Four and other problems, the CPRR was built at a rapid pace, thanks in no small part to the 15,000 Chinese immigrants who constituted the bulk of the workforce used to lay down the 700-mile railway that started in Sacramento and ended in Utah. Although he rallied against immigrants as a politician, Stanford changed his tune when he saw the savings since he didn’t have to pay them as much as American workers or provide them with living accommodations.
The Central Pacific Railroad was completed on May 10, 1869, when it was connected to the Union Pacific Railroad to form the first transcontinental railroad. This event was celebrated across the country, thanks to telegraph messages and numerous journalists and photographers who documented the occasion. A golden spike was used to symbolically join the rails of the two companies, and the man who drove it in was none other than Leland Stanford, forever linking his name to one of the country’s most ambitious and successful endeavors. The Central Pacific’s first locomotive was also named the “Governor Stanford” in his honor.
Stanford had a few other interests to keep him busy. He got into wine and bought two vineyards, turning one of them, the Great Vina Ranch in Tehama County, California, into the largest winery in the world. He also developed a fondness for horses and founded the Palo Alto Stock Farm, where he bred racehorses. This inadvertently led to a landmark moment in photography when Stanford approached English photographer Edward Muybridge in 1873 and asked him to take a photograph of one of his favorite horses during a full gallop.
At the time, Muybridge considered this task impossible, but he gave it his best shot. The end result was a blurry image that nevertheless pleased Stanford, who wanted to fund Muybridge to refine his technique. Over the next few years, Muybridge had other things on his mind, including a murder trial for killing his wife’s lover, but once that was sorted out, he went back to working for Stanford.
In 1878, Edward Muybridge made history when he photographed Stanford’s horse, Sally Gardner, using 12 cameras arranged to trigger one after another, showing the full motion of a horse during a gallop. This was something the world had never seen before and represented a precursor to motion pictures.
Leland Stanford’s contribution to photography was important, but it was not what turned him into a household name. Rather, it was the university that bears his name. Although everyone calls it Stanford University, its official name is actually Leland Stanford Junior University, named after Leland and Jane Stanford’s only child, Leland Stanford Jr., who tragically died in 1884 at the age of 15 from typhoid fever while on a European vacation with his parents. In his honor, his parents decided to open a university.
Stanford University opened its doors in 1891, but by that point, its main benefactor was an ill man suffering from locomotor ataxia. Leland Stanford lasted two more years, dying of heart failure on June 21, 1893, at his home in Palo Alto. His death caused financial troubles for Stanford University, further compounded by federal lawsuits against Stanford for failure to repay loans, the economic depression of 1893, and later the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which caused significant damage to the campus.
Eventually, Stanford University became one of the most prestigious institutes of higher learning in the world, educating countless Nobel laureates, Rhodes Scholars, MacArthur Fellows, Pulitzer Prize winners, and even one American president, Herbert Hoover, who was part of the university’s first graduating class of 1895. Andrew Carnegie described Stanford’s bequest as perhaps the greatest sum ever given by an individual for any purpose, an act that undoubtedly influenced the development of engineering, medicine, and science in the 130 years that followed, ultimately becoming Leland Stanford’s lasting legacy.
Normally, when the subject of a biographic ends, it’s time for us to conclude the video, but that’s not the case with Leland Stanford. One of the most interesting events surrounding him happened 12 years after his death—a murder mystery involving his wife, who was killed with strychnine on February 28, 1905. Her death remains unsolved to this day.
After her husband’s demise, Jane Stanford mainly focused on the administration of the university, where she sometimes clashed with board members and professors, including the university president, David Starr Jordan. The strange events surrounding Jane Stanford began a month and a half before her death when it is likely that her killer first tried to poison her and failed.
On the night of January 14, 1905, Jane Stanford was at home in her San Francisco mansion. After drinking a glass of mineral water, she noted that it tasted very bitter. Immediately, her throat started to burn, and she forced herself to vomit. A maid and her secretary tasted the water and agreed it was unusually bitter. The next day, they took it to a chemist, who confirmed that there was enough strychnine in the bottle to kill Jane Stanford in just a few minutes.
The 76-year-old survived this time but was left deeply disturbed by the attempt on her life. Needing time off to recuperate, Jane Stanford planned a trip to Hawaii. Back in San Francisco, rumors of her attempted poisoning were quelled by David Starr Jordan, who insisted that Mrs. Stanford was seeking warmer climates after a bout with pneumonia.
The time spent in Hawaii did her well at first; however, on February 28, Mrs. Stanford was in Honolulu, checked into the Moana Hotel, ate a big lunch, and for supper, just had some soup. Later, she asked her secretary for some bicarbonate of soda to treat her upset stomach. After taking it, she was woken up by cries coming from Mrs. Stanford’s room. The old woman was in pain and said she had been poisoned again. The secretary went to get the doctor, but this time it was too late.
Mrs. Stanford’s last words were, “This is a horrible death to die,” before being taken over by violent spasms and succumbing to the poison. An autopsy found strychnine in her system, and a coroner’s jury concluded that Jane Lathrop Stanford came to her death from strychnine poisoning, with the poison having been introduced into a bottle of bicarbonate of soda with felonious intent by an unknown person or persons.
You would think that all of this would make it clear that Jane Stanford was killed with strychnine, but that was not the case. David Starr Jordan immediately began to work on a cover-up to indicate that Mrs. Stanford died from heart failure. He traveled to Honolulu with a San Francisco detective and hired a local doctor, both of whom agreed with Jordan’s assertion that Jane Stanford died of natural causes.
Jordan even accused the victim’s personal physician of adding the poison to the bicarbonate of soda after her death to disguise his incompetence in treating her. Back in the continental U.S., Jordan’s statement carried more weight than the investigation performed in Honolulu, so his version of events became the official story for over half a century.
As for why he did it, we’re not really sure. It could be that he simply did not want any scandal associated with the university, or it could be that he wanted to deflect suspicion from himself since everyone knew that he and Mrs. Stanford did not get along, and there were rumors that she intended to have him removed from the presidency. Unfortunately, due to his actions, Jane Stanford’s poisoning has never been properly investigated, so her death remains a mystery.
I hope you found that video interesting. If you did, please hit that thumbs up button below, don’t forget to subscribe, and thank you for watching!
—
This version removes any inappropriate language and maintains a respectful tone throughout.
Controversy – A prolonged public dispute or debate, often concerning a matter of opinion or differing interpretations of historical events. – The controversy surrounding the causes of the Civil War continues to be a topic of intense scholarly debate.
Philanthropy – The desire to promote the welfare of others, often expressed by the generous donation of money to good causes, which has played a significant role in shaping educational and cultural institutions. – Andrew Carnegie’s philanthropy led to the establishment of numerous libraries and educational institutions across the United States.
Railroad – A permanent road with rails fixed to ties and laid on a roadbed, providing a track for freight cars, passenger cars, and other rolling stock, which was crucial in the expansion and economic development of nations. – The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 was a pivotal moment in American history, facilitating westward expansion and commerce.
Politics – The activities associated with governance, policy-making, and the debate between parties having power, often influencing historical events and societal changes. – The politics of the Cold War era were marked by a tense rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Governor – An elected official who serves as the head of a state government in the United States, responsible for implementing state laws and overseeing the operation of the state executive branch. – As governor of New York, Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented progressive reforms that laid the groundwork for his New Deal policies.
Immigration – The action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country, which has significantly influenced the demographic and cultural landscape of nations throughout history. – The wave of immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries transformed American cities and contributed to the country’s industrial growth.
Laborers – Workers, especially those doing manual work, whose contributions have been vital in the development of industries and infrastructure. – The laborers who built the Panama Canal faced harsh conditions but played a crucial role in connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Education – The process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university, which has been a key factor in societal advancement and reform. – The expansion of public education in the 19th century was instrumental in promoting literacy and civic engagement in the United States.
Legacy – Something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor, often referring to the lasting impact of historical figures or events. – The legacy of the Roman Empire is evident in modern legal systems, languages, and architectural styles.
Innovation – The introduction of new ideas, methods, or devices, which has driven progress and change throughout history. – The innovation of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized the spread of information and ideas during the Renaissance.
