John Jacob Astor

Originally Aired: October 20, 1937 Cavalcade of America #105, "John Jacob Astor," chronicles the journey of a young German immigrant who arrives in America with nothing but seven flutes and twenty-five dollars, yet dreams of building a commercial empire. When Captain Stout confiscates young Jacob Astor's flute aboard a ship entering Chesapeake Bay, passenger Nathaniel Prime intervenes, sparking a conversation about America's commercial future. Prime and his companion Sherman introduce Jacob to the fur trade, planting seeds of ambition in the immigrant's mind. After arriving in New York penniless, Jacob works as a baker's assistant while courting Sarah Todd, sharing his vision of westward expansion and commercial greatness. Jacob's determination wins Sarah's heart, and her three-hundred-dollar dowry enables him to enter the fur business. Years later, as Jacob tramps the American wilderness collecting pelts, he finds himself at Fort William trading post among Canadian fur traders who dominate the industry. The episode traces how this foreign-born pioneer's loyalty to his adopted homeland and his commercial vision help build America's trading empire, facing the challenge of competing against established Canadian interests in the fur trade.