I'm surprised that Johnson doesn't talk a lot about Native Americans much in his discussion about railroads, as the two were opposing forces. He discusses trains over the course of their development.
Before trains there was water transport, helped along by the steam engine (366). As railroads began to connect rivers together, they functioned as a supplement to canals (368). Passenger lines became popular, though they weren't very comfortable. Also, fast carriers and telegraphs emerged as people and ideas started to move faster than ever (369). The rails connected Eastern manufacturers who wanted high tariffs with Western farmers who enjoyed free or very cheap land. Transportation helped form an alliance between them (434). It's incredible how the United States went from being a primary producer to the world first "industrial superstate" (532) in a relatively short amount of time. Railroads offered a lot of capital and new jobs for people. The national government appropriately stepped in to regulate land usage and laws (535). With these new businesses and investments in trains came bureaucratic corruption and abuse of financial power (546). Some of the leaders in this field wanted consolidation in lower prices, investment opportunities, and deals for stock holders (563). The rail system evolved into Los Angeles' all-electric system which uses cheap electricity (689). Trains have gotten more efficient, safe, and reliable over time. Unfortunately, this transportation system is on the decline and we aren't getting all the benefits it has to offer.
No comments:
Post a Comment