Major funding for backstory is provided by an anonymous donor, the National Endowment

for the Humanities, the University of Virginia, and the Robert and Joseph Cornell Memorial Foundation.

From Virginia Humanities, this is backstory.

Welcome to backstory, the show that explains the history behind today's headlines.

I'm Brian Balla.

I'm Ed Ayers.

And I'm Nathan Connolly.

If you're new to the podcast, we're all historians.

And each week we explore the history of one topic that's been in the news.

Brian and Ed, if I were to ask you to name famous millionaires from the 19th century, who

would you say?

Well, first I'd ask you not to Nathan, but if I really had to answer the question, I'd

say John Jacob Astor, the real estate mogul.

I'd say Cornelius Vanderbilt, even his name sounds like a million bucks.

Well, that's right.

Now, those two are both famous white millionaires, but what if I told you there was actually

someone else, someone just as successful, who belongs in the same breath as a Vanderbilt

Ornaster?

His name is Jeremiah Hamilton.

And he happens to be one of the first African-American millionaires in history.

He amassed his wealth in the 19th century in New York City.

And he was a brilliant businessman.

...