The transcontinentals and the making of modern america in conversation with david kennedy, donald j. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies along a continuous route. The origins of the transcontinental the joining of the. History is useful in trying to understand how network industries evolve and the role of policies and institutions in their development. The transcontinentals and the making of modern america white, richard on. The transcontinentals and the making of modern america, richard white charts the rise and expansion of americas rail system and the greed and corruption that fed it. It is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroadthe investors who risked their businesses and money. The rail system opened the west like nothing ever before, and continued to rely on irish employees. One effect of the building of the transcontinental railroad was to get the answers you need, now. The transcontinentals have occupied a large part in the collective imaginations of both the united states and canada. Building the railroad transcontinental railroad workers a trip that usually took six months by foot or wagon soon take six days with this advancement in transportation. The transcontinentals and the making of modern america by richard white.
One needs to see them in a longrun perspective, which is exactly what. Allofthechaptersinthisbookpertainingtothe actualconstructionofthecanalwerereadandcorrected bycolonelgeorgew. It is difficult to overstate the centrality of railroads to american history, especially in the territories west of the mississippi river. The transcontinentals and the making of modern america by richard white new york. The transcontinental railroad turned small towns into big cities and baron land into prospering farms. Author richard white presents a history of the operation of the transcontinental railroads and the sizable impact it had on the economic and. White discusses his latest book, railroaded, that is an original, deeply researched history that shows the transcontinentals to be pivotal actors in the making of modern america. The transcontinentals and the making of modern america. Although america was not the first country in the world to roll carts on rail tracks, the united states did open a new era of transportation. Norton railroaded contains a fair amount of debunking. The transcontinentals and the making of modern america william l.
Also beginning toward the end of the 19th century, the private railroads operated intercity passenger trains and shorthaul, suburban passenger services. Indian railways is modifying 20,000 carriage coaches, for a total of 320,000 new isolation pods, announcing the program on the same week covid19. But it is also a glimpse into the world of the criminal defense lawyer as seen through the eyes of an analytical engineer. About us gtg technology group transportation management.
Whether youre running a worldwide intermodal operation or strictly local drayage, weve got the holistic business solutions that help you bring it all together. How did the completion of the transcontinental railroad. One effect of the building of the transcontinental railroad. Lang portland state university let us know how access to this document benefits you. I fully understand that the job of an editor to cram the word modern into every history book, to make it more accessible. Indian railways is modifying 20,000 carriage coaches, for a total of 320,000 new isolation pods, announcing the program on the same week covid19 cases increased by 1,637 infections and 38 deaths. Aug 29, 2000 nothing like it in the world gives the account of an unprecedented feat of engineering, vision, and courage. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading railroaded. Richard white shows the transcontinentals to be pivotal actors in the making of modern america. Railroads, the civil war, and the making of modern america yale university press, 2011. Jul 17, 2011 the men who created and ran the transcontinentals leland stanford, collis p. Beginning with frederick douglasss escape from slavery in 1838 on the railroad, and ending with the driving of the golden spike to link the transcontinental railroad in 1869, this book charts a critical period of american expansion and national.
Richard white presented a history of the operation of the transcontinental railroads. January 1863 central pacific railroad breaks ground on its portion of the railroad at sacramento, california. Far from being the harbingers of order and modernity, they were largely vehicles for financial manipulation, political corruption, and personal gain. It is richard whites conclusion in his new history, railroaded. While stephen ambroses book is the better known book, the empire express by david haward bain is in my opinion the definitive work. Tools for spatiotemporal visualization american historical association conference, january 2012.
The transcontinentals and the making of modern america kindle edition by white, richard. Richard white is the margaret byrne professor of american history at stanford university. With most of the countrys ablebodied men on the battlefield, workers for the transcontinental railroad were initially in short supply. Completion of the transcontinental railroad 5th flashcards.
The impact of the railroad california state university. The transcontinental railroads of the late nineteenth century were the first corporate behemoths. Jul 12, 2019 with most of the countrys ablebodied men on the battlefield, workers for the transcontinental railroad were initially in short supply. The story of the building of a railroad connecting the atlantic and pacific coasts of north america. Nothing like it in the world gives the account of an unprecedented feat of engineering, vision, and courage. Early in the 20th century, modern subways began to appear, along with motorpowered buses. Transcontinental railroad, united states building the world. Nov 16, 2012 this site explores the history of railroads, telegraphs, and technologies in the nineteenth century, especially the era of the civil war.
The transcontinentals of the title never really were transcontinental at all, white points out. Crony capitalism and the transcontinental railroads. One effect of the building of the transcontinental. S history and current status background development of mass transportation in the united states can be traced back as far as 1630 with the inception of chartered ferry and horse cart services in boston, ma. In california, white workers were more interested in seeking their fortunes in gold than in doing the backbreaking labor required to build a railroad. The transcontinentals and the making of modern america, which exposes the nearutter disconnect between the railroads and the true geography of the markets in the midnineteenth century. It captures every aspect of the story in great depth including the tedious 1 inchper day a progress through the sierra nevada range and the incredible chinese laborer work force that accomplished the tunnels.
Richard white argues that the transcontinental railroads of the late 19th century were political, business, and social failures that should not have been constructed when and where they were. Crony capitalism and the transcontinental railroads mises. Once viewed as a seminal moment in the making of the united states and the west, the events at promontory summit and their aftermath receive a great deal of critical attention in richard whites provocative and polemical book, railroaded. The transcontinental railroad the origins of the transcontinental railroad by richard white the completion in 1869 of the first transcontinental railroadthe pacific railway, as the combination of the central pacific and the union pacific was called created two of the most iconic symbols in american history.
Transcontinental railroad fact sheet prior to the opening of the transcontinental railroad, it took four to six months to travel 2000 miles from the missouri river to california by wagon. American history ink brings history to life with illustrated historical fiction covering important eras in our nations history. Main events of the 20th century jan 01, 2011 chances are, youve been affected somehow, in some way, by the great recession. Richard white is the margaret byrne professor emeritus of american history at stanford university. Network industries are especially prone to market and government failures because they involve large, durable, and fixed investments across space. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
The men who created and ran the transcontinentals leland stanford, collis p. Start studying completion of the transcontinental railroad 5th. Their attempts to generate profits from proliferating debt sparked devastating panics in the u. The civil war, railroads, and the making of modern america. The iron horse linked california with the rest of the nation and ushered in an era of economic consolidation. Building the transcontinental railroad by phoebe stevens on prezi. Richard cory loved teaching, sailing, skiing, flying, and women. Far from being the harbingers of order and modernity, they were largely vehicles for financial manipulation, political corruption, and personal gain harbingers of a different kind of modernity. This original, deeply researched history shows the transcontinentals to be pivotal actors in the making of modern america. A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is a contiguous network railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. The completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 was a major event in california history. Frederick winslow taylor observed that worker efficiency in steel could be improved through the use of machines to.
Richard white, professor of history, stanford university. The transcontinentals and the making of modern america soap making. The transcontinentals and the making of modern america 2011. A new, incisive history of the transcontinental railroads and how they transformed america in the decades after the civil war. The railroad industry also wanted bison herds culled or eliminated. I live in omaha, which oddly enough, has suddenly become an extremely appealing place to be we are the most affordable city in the us. It substantially accelerated the populating of the west by white homesteaders, led to rapid cultivation of new farm lands.
A new perspective on the central role of the railroads and slavery in the coming, fighting, and aftermath of the civil war. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The subtitle of railroaded is the transcontinentals and the making of modern america. This site explores the history of railroads, telegraphs, and technologies in the nineteenth century, especially the era of the civil war. Let our experience make the difference in your business. Jun 21, 2011 richard white, professor of history, stanford university. The transcon tinentals and the making of modern america, that the phrase should. The book railroaded is a new, incisive history of the transcontinental railroads and how they transformed america in the decades after the civil war. Still, if you do this, there should at least be some attempt at connecting up the old with the new. Their attempts to generate profits from proliferating debt sparked.
In california, white workers were more interested in seeking their fortunes in gold than in doing the backbreaking labor required to. Gtg technology group builds software to manage global transportation management systems of every size and kind. The true story of a professional wrongly arrested and tried, railroaded is an indictment of over zealous policemen and prosecutors. In his book the author recounts the social and economic impact the transcontinental railroads had on the way. One needs to see them in a longrun perspective, which is exactly what richard white. A powerful book, crowded with telling details and shrewd observations. Aug 19, 2011 an iconic photograph celebrates this event. Instead we have a new vision of the gilded age, often darkly funny, that shows history to be.
The transcontinentals and the making of modern america printer friendly version pdf version. The transcontinentals and the making of modern america, journal of american history, volume 98, issue 4, march 2012. Beginning with frederick douglasss escape from slavery in 1838 on the railroad, and ending with the driving of the golden spike to link the transcontinental railroad in 1869, this book charts a critical period of american expansion and national formation, one largely. Improve comprehension of historical fiction through highinterest topics reflecting our nations rich history, engage and motivate students with stories told through the eyes of adolescents of the time, and prepare students for highstakes assessments. How did the completion of the transcontinental railroad chane. He is the author of many acclaimed books in american western and environmental history, including railroaded. India is rebuilding trains as rolling hospital wards, refitting coaches into care facilities with 16 beds.
Gtg technology group is a transportation management systems technology leader serving the intermodal, brokerage, and drayage transportation software market. Looking for a good book about the transcontinental railroad. The impact of the irish on the american railway system. With characteristic originality, range, and authority, richard white shows the transcontinentals to be pivotal actors in the making of modern america. This tale is told in grim detail in historian richard whites 2011 tome on the transcontinental railroads, railroaded. When the golden spike connected the transcontinental railroad, what had once been an arduous journey of months now took just 10 days. The origins of the transcontinental the joining of the rails. Herds of bison on tracks could damage locomotives when the trains failed to stop in time. Author richard white presents a history of the operation of the transcontinental railroads and the sizable impact it had on the economic and political landscape of the gilded age. Huntington, jay gould, mark hopkins, charles francis adams jr. Reviewed by dan bogart network industries are especially prone to market and government failures because they involve large, durable, and fixed investments across space.
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