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?