Theironhorse

THE IRON HORSE

a short history of trains in the 19th century

Early Train History

First imported steam locomotive was in 1830s by Horatio Allen

Trains capture the imagination of Americans from the beginning.

Which do you think is more efficient?

1869 the golden spike of the transcontinental railroad hammered into American soil: coast to coast transportation

From 1861 to 1890 train track increased from 30,000 miles to 210,000 miles !

The Reality and Romance

The Romance

Travel Land Adventure Fresh start

The Reality Harsh working

conditions Displacement of Native

Americans Feudalistic-like towns

run by businessmen

Urbanization by Transportation

Train system linked different markets across nation

Cities near the railway developed (Chicago, Minneapolis)

New towns were created centered on the train industry

Railway-towns created that provided all services to the train factory’s employees (Pullman Town)

Greed for the Greenbacks

Credit Mobiler (1864) Union Pacific Railroad Congressmen and

Businessmen involved Millions of $ taken by

skimming railway profits

Abuse of railway Businessmen and favoritism Government abuse of lands Abuse of farmers (price

gauging, debt)

Government, Private Industry and the Court

Gragner Laws (1871) Grangers convinced

politicians to support them Illinois authorized regulation

of railway co. prices in state Munn v. Illinois (1877)

Railways fought back Supreme Court decision

upheld farmers protection Federal Regulation

Munn v. Illinois establishes federal protection of public interest over private interest

See Saw Politics and Public Outrage

Granger’s power short-lived

Supreme court overturns state regulation of trains

Public Outrage

Interstate Commerce Act ICC Established to regulate

railway commerce federally Did not wield effective

power until the early 1900s

The Panic of 1893

Railroad Industry Falters Corruption Competition Bankruptcy

National Depression 600 banks and 15,000

businesses failed

The Rise of the Big Business

Massive Bankruptcy puts railway industry in the hand of a few trust

The Age of Big Business

J.P. Morgan, Vaderbilt, Carnegie all come out of this sea shift in American business

Orwell and Railroads

“Hark! here comes that old dragon again-that gigantic gadfly…snort! puff! scream! Great improvements of the age” Melville fumed “Who wants to travel so fast? My grandfather did not, and he was no fool” (Moby Dick)

Like Orwell, do you think technology moves to fast for society to handle?