Part 4/10:
As DNC chairman, Belmont transformed political fundraising into a refined art form that would astonish modern-day super PACs. However, when the Civil War erupted, he executed a drastic political turnaround that would have made Machiavelli proud. Initially resistant to President Lincoln, Belmont repositioned himself as a staunch Union supporter once conflict ignited, yet he skillfully maintained his Southern business interests through the Democratic Vigilant Association, balancing his allegiances adeptly.