The Astors 3 (Pages 62 - 114)

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Washington Irving, who was John Jacob's friend, wrote "Astoria" in 1836 at his bequest. The book describes an expedition to the mouth of the Columbia River and the ultimate failure of attempts in the early 19th century to establish a permanent American-controlled commercial base at Astoria. 

Astor also asked some friends to live with him: poet Fitz Greene Halleck and Joseph Cogswell. 

Fitz-Greene Halleck (July 8, 1790 – November 19, 1867) was an American poet and member of the Knickerbocker Group. In 1832, Halleck started working as personal secretary and adviser to the John Jacob Astor, who appointed him as one of the original trustees of the Astor Library. 

Joseph Green Cogswell (September 27, 1786 – November 26, 1871) was an American librarian, bibliographer and an innovative educator. He became the friend and companion of John Jacob Astor, upon whom he urged the project of a library. Succeeding in this promotion, Cogswell, in conjunction with Astor, Washington Irving and Fitz-Greene Halleck, arranged the plan of the Astor Library.

When Jacob died, he bequeathed $50,000 to his birth town, Waldorf, in Germany, for a home for the poor. Walldorf is a town  in Germany. In the eighteenth century, Walldorf was the birthplace of John Jacob Astor. 

William Backhouse, the heir, turned to real estate, and fatten his fortune by collecting rents, just like his father. Following the example of his father, he invested in real estate, principally situated below Central Park, between 4th and 7th Avenues, which rapidly increased in value. For about 13 years prior to 1873 he was largely engaged in building until much of his hitherto unoccupied land was covered by houses.

He lived at Lafayette Place. 

William's wife, Margaret, insisted on buying a country house, which she called Rokeby. In 1836, William Astor paid his father-in-law $50,000 for the title deed to the estate of 728 acres, renaming it "Rokeby," as a stream on the land reminded Margaret of a poem of that name written by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832). 

William and Margaret had three children.

John Jacob Astor III, who married Charlotte Augusta Gibbe. 

John Jacob Astor III (June 10, 1822 – February 22, 1890) was an American financier, philanthropist and a soldier during the American Civil War. He was a prominent member of the Astor family, becoming the wealthiest member in his generation.

On December 9, 1846, Astor was married at Trinity Church in New York City to Charlotte Augusta Gibbes (February 27, 1825 – December 12, 1887). 

William Backhouse Jr was his second son and he married Caroline Schermerhorn. 

William Backhouse Astor Jr. (July 12, 1829 – April 25, 1892) was an American businessman, racehorse owner/breeder, and yachtsman who was a member of the prominent Astor family.

Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn Astor (September 22, 1830 – October 30, 1908) was an American socialite who led the Four Hundred, high society of New York City in the Gilded Age. Referred to later in life as "the Mrs. Astor" or simply "Mrs. Astor", she was the wife of yachtsman William Backhouse Astor Jr

The third son was Henry Astor, who was said to be quite strange. He married the gardener's daughter, Malvina Dinehart. 

William was friendly with New York's mayor, Fernando Wood, who was involved with the corrupt group Tammany Hall. Fernando Wood (June 14, 1812 – February 13, 1881) was an American Democratic Party politician, merchant, and real estate investor who served as the 73rd and 75th Mayor of New York City.

Tammany Hall was an American political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789, as the Tammany Society. It became the main local political machine of the Democratic Party and played a major role in controlling New York City and New York state politics. It helped immigrants, most notably the Irish, rise in American politics from the 1850s into the 1960s. Tammany usually controlled Democratic nominations and political patronage in Manhattan for over 100 years following the mayoral victory of Fernando Wood in 1854, and used its patronage resources to build a loyal, well-rewarded core of district and precinct leaders; after 1850, the vast majority were Irish Catholics due to mass immigration from Ireland during and after the Irish Famine of the late 1840s.

John Jacob III supported Lincol, who won the elecitons in 1860. Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 6, 1860. The Republican Party ticket of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin emerged victorious in a four-way race. With an electoral majority comprised only of Northern states that had already abolished slavery, and minimal support in the Democratic-dominated Southern slave states, Lincoln's election as the first Republican president thus served as the main catalyst for Southern secession and consequently the American Civil War.

In 1861 eleven Sourthern states declared independence and formed a confederacy. TWith Abraham Lincoln's election as President of the United States in 1860, eleven southern states believed their slavery-dependent plantation economies were threatened, and began to secede from the United States. The Confederacy was formed on February 8, 1861, by South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. 

War broke out in April 1861. The American Civil War began in 1861, triggered by the secession of Southern states from the Union and the subsequent attack on Fort Sumter on April 12th. 

John Jacob III reported to army quarters and was given the rank of colonel. During the American Civil War, Astor served as a volunteer aide-de-camp, with the rank of colonel, to Major General George B. McClellan  from November 30, 1861, to July 11, 1862. John Jacob handed in his resignation in July 1862 after 8 months service. 

George Brinton McClellan was a prominent figure during the American Civil War, serving as a Major General in the Union Army and eventually as its Commanding General. He is known for organizing and training the Army of the Potomac, earning the nickname "Young Napoleon". While he initially gained popularity and respect, his cautious leadership style and disagreements with President Abraham Lincoln led to his removal from command and a later political career, including a bid for the presidency. 

The draft act was passed in 1863, causing riots in New York as only the poor were compelled to fight and the rich could buy their way out of the draft. The Draft Act of 1863, officially known as the Enrollment Act, was a conscription law passed by the U.S. Congress on March 3, 1863, during the Civil War. It required all able-bodied male citizens and immigrants intending to become citizens between the ages of 20 and 45 to register for military service. The act established the first national draft system in the United States. 

The New York City draft riots, which took place in July 1863, were a series of violent disturbances sparked by the Enrollment Act of 1863. These riots were largely fueled by working-class anger over the perceived unfairness of the draft, particularly the ability of wealthy men to avoid it by paying a fee or hiring a substitute. The riots were also fueled by racial tensions, with many of the rioters targeting African Americans. 

William's daughters were:

Alida who married Englishman John Carey. 

Laura Astor married Franklin Delano. In September 1844, Delano was married to heiress Laura Eugenia Astor. 

Emily Astor married Sam Ward, but she died in 1841, and Samuel remarried. Samuel Cutler Ward (January 27, 1814 — May 19, 1884),[1] was an American poet, politician, author, and gourmet, and in the years after the Civil War he was widely known as the "King of the Lobby." In January 1838, he married Emily Astor. In February 1841, Emily gave birth to a son, but within days both she and the newborn died. 

William Backhouse retired in 1866 and John Jacob III took his place. He was also in good terms with a crooked politician, Bass Tweed. William Magear "Boss" Tweed (April 3, 1823 – April 12, 1878) was an American politician most notable for being the political boss of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party's political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th-century New York City and State.

William and Caroline had several daughters, and Caroline finally gave birth to a son, John Jacob IV, born in 1864. 

Charlotte Augusta and John Jacob II only had one son, William Waldorf. 

Caroline Astor became the most fashionable woman in New York, and she and Stuart Ward organized the parties everybody wanted to go to.

Ward McCallister organized a ball committee of 25 patriarchs who had the right to invite 5 gentlement and 4 ladies. Society of Patriarchs was a society founded in 1872 in New York City by Ward McAllister that are known for hosting the Patriarch Balls, the "epitome of conspicuous display and upper-class ritual and etiquette" during the Gilded Age.  The Patriarchs began throwing a ball each year, known as the Patriarchs Ball. Each member of the Society was entitled to invite nine people, four ladies and five gentlemen, to the ball, thereby making invitations difficult to obtain and subsequently establishing the invitees as deemed fit for society.

Mrs Astor's Balls were the greatest social events in society. Mrs. Astor's ballswere legendary social events known for their extravagance, exclusivity, and elaborate themes. These balls, hosted in her grand mansions, featured intricate dances, themed decorations, and custom menus, showcasing the opulence of the era. They were not just social gatherings; they were spectacles that defined the social scene of New York City. 

The new founded Newport was another place where Mrs Astor had her dominion. The first settlement took place after 1786. The town was formed in 1805 from parts of four towns.