贝尔蒙特家族

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美国银行、金融、政治和艺术收藏方面的名门望族。该家族在美国的创始人奥古斯特.贝尔蒙特(August Belmont, 1816~1890),为出生於普鲁士犹太家庭的银行家和外交家。十四岁时进入罗思柴尔德家族的法兰克福银行工作。1837年迁居纽约,担任罗思柴尔德银行在美国的代理,并为日後自设银行奠定基础,後来他的银行成为美国的最大银行之一。他还积极参与政治活动,强烈反对奴隶制度,在南北战争爆发後,他对英法等国的商界和金融界发挥很大的影响力,使他们支持联邦政府。他还将纯种马赛马引进美国(参阅Belmont Stakes)。他与美国海军准将马修.伯理之女成婚。儿子伯理(Perry Belmont, 1850~1947)曾担任美国国会议员,并着有美国历史和政治书籍数册。另一个儿子小奥古斯特(August Belmont, Jr., 1853~1924)接管银行的全部业务,并对纽约市地下铁的建设投资,其妻埃莉诺则赞助大都会歌剧院公司。

Belmont family

U.S. family prominent in banking and finance, politics, and patronage of the arts. Its founder in the U.S. was August Belmont (1816-1890), a Prussian-born Jewish banker and diplomat. Belmont entered the Rothschilds' Frankfurt banking house at age 14. In 1837 he moved to New York, where he acted as the Rothschilds' agent and laid the foundation for his own banking house, which became one of the largest in the country. He took an active interest in politics. Strongly opposed to slavery, he influenced merchants and financiers in England and France in favor of the Union during the Civil War. He introduced Thoroughbred horse racing into the U.S. (see Belmont Stakes). He married the daughter of Commodore Matthew Perry. His son Perry (1850-1947) became a U.S. Congressman and wrote books on U.S. history and politics. Another son, August Belmont, Jr. (1853-1924), took over the banking house and financed the building of New York's subway, while his wife supported the Metropolitan Opera.