Prime members enjoy free twoday delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, tv shows, original audio series, and kindle books. I assigned it to my civil war and reconstruction grad class. The great railroad revolution the great railroad war. Railroads, reconstruction, and the gospel of prosperity. For the confederate states army, the system was fragile and was designed for short hauls of cotton to the nearest river or ocean port. After the upheavals of the civil war and reconstruction shattered the plantation economy of the old south. An illustrated history, michael leavy uses compelling period photographs and drawings and a rich narrative to reevaluate and illuminate the role of railroads in the civil war. History of rail transportation in the united states. Confederate railroads in the american civil war wikipedia. Four of the border states virginia, arkansas, tennessee, and north carolina joined the other slave states and fought on the side of the confederacy. Cities were destroyed, railroad tracks had been pulled up, and the souths financial system was wrecked confederate money was worthless and southern bank. Railroads and the reconstruction of capitalism in the new south. After the civil war, the railroad grew to become the 3,300mile richmond and danville railroad company system.
The 1850s had seen enormous growth in the railroad industry so that by 1861, 22,000 miles of track had been laid in the northern states and 9,500 miles in the south. Working magic with cornstalks and beanpoles national archives. Responsible for developing relationships with key shippers, businesses such as the empire line fast freight often decided which railroads would transport the huge amounts of freight under their control. Railroad raiders of the civil war audiobook by james m. Though about reconstruction, this book actually has a lot to say about the civil war. The heroes, villains, soldiers, and civilians who changed america. This was the first to approve federal aid for the construction of railroads.
Rather than sticking to the traditional narrative of north and south, richardson includes the west. Railroads were key to the expansion of business, agriculture, and industry. North carolina civil war railroad battles railroad map maps. This book explores the rural world of white southern plain folk during the civil war and reconstruction in piney woods georgia. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. North carolina civil war railroad battles and bridge burners history, list of north carolina railroad battles details maps, railroad battle history map, rail lines of tennessee, cumberland gap, and the smoky mountains facts, photo, picture, photograph. A documentary collection, opens a window onto the political, social, cultural, economic, and. An ample, wideranging collection of primary sources, the civil war and reconstruction. Some general observations on the nineteenth century 1.
A legal history of the civil war and reconstruction by. Gaps between lines, incompatible track gauges, and other vexing impediments remained in both the north and south. Selfinterested antebellum railroad directors, for example, encouraged behavior that would horrify observers of todays supposedly modest. When andrew johnson became president, he was from the south and wanted to be even more lenient to the confederate states than lincoln. However, during the rebellion, railroads came of age. Railroads, the civil war, and the making of modern. Chartered on march 9, 1847, the railroad completed its 140mile 230 km line between richmond and danville in 1856. Any recommended reading list therefore has to be highly selective and at least somewhat arbitrary. The reconstruction era was the period in american history which lasted from 1863 to 1877. He was an industrious man, a skilled organizer, and an. Reconstruction 18651877, the turbulent era following the civil war, was the effort to reintegrate southern states from the confederacy and 4 million newlyfreed slaves into the united states. This book describes the southern republicans post civil war railroad aid program the central element of the gospel of prosperity designed to reestablish a vigorous economy in the devastated south.
The two major competing railroad companies after the civil war were the central pacific railroad and the union pacific railroad. After the upheavals of the civil war and reconstruction shattered the. Paperback the civil war is at an end, but for thirteenyearold eulinda, it is no time to rejoice. Civil war and reconstruction, 18611877 gilder lehrman. This is the grandfather of modern civil war reconstruction texts books.
It was supply and transport, trains and trouble on the line, men in blue and gray fighting against almost unbelievable odds with lumbering, woodburning engines. Acts of ala agents alabama and chattanooga appointed april army authority bales black belt bonds carpetbaggers cent chattanooga civil command committee confederacy confederate con. Free online access to hundreds of great civil war and. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Prior to the civil war in this country, railroads were a new and relatively untried invention. The destruction caused during the civil war left southern railroads in dire need of repair, so many were rebuilt during the postwar reconstruction period. Nov 11, 2010 i can understand a 4star rating as the books gives an excellent overview, it just seems a tad thin. Which book is the best example of how growing sectional differences between the north and south were expressed in the literature ofthe antebellum period. The american civil war suffers more scrutiny than any other event in the history of the united states. Pfeiffer enlarge as general mccallum s assistant, herman haupt preferred being out in the field, and he worked magic in reconstructing bridges and keeping the trains running on time. Historian greg downs on what modern democrats can learn from reconstruction republicans. Jun 22, 2017 2 thoughts on best books about the civil war judson hair june 23, 2019 at 11. Explore texas by historical eras civil war and reconstruction 18611870 by katie whitehurst. Prime members enjoy free twoday delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, tv shows, original audio series.
Although the south controlled only onethird the railway mileage of the north, the southern railways were strategically located within the theater of operations and were used with great tactical skill by confederate commanders. The civil war, like all others, was not all gunfire and panic. Many authors writing todat refer to this book in their introductions. This book describes the southern republicans post civil war railroad aid programthe central element of the gospel of prosperity designed to reesta. University of tennessee offers its civil war and reconstruction books free online. At the outset of the war, the confederacy possessed the third largest set of railroads of any nation in the world, with about 9,000 miles of railroad track. Civil war and reconstruction the indiana history blog. Download civil war and reconstruction eyewitness history. If you are a civil war fan the book brings some new perspectives that are overlooked in most books dealing with the conflict. Eric foner, the dewitt clinton professor of history at columbia university, is the author of numerous books on the civil war and reconstruction.
From james mcphersons definitive history to tony horwitzs adventures among obsessives, here are the 11 best books on the civil war in time for the. Improve your students reading comprehension with readworks. Civil war and reconstruction eyewitness history series a thorough look at the civil war and reconstructionfrom family life to favorite pastimes. They became both strategic resources, as well as a military targets, precisely because they were strategic resources. Access thousands of highquality, free k12 articles, and create online assignments with them for your students. Congress authorized the first transcontinental railroad during the civil war, and on may 10. Although railroads in the civil war is a scholarly monograph, there are several efforts to widen the appeal of the book, as clark seems intent upon relating his subject matter to modern sensibilities. Tennessee would secede in june 1861 and would be the last of the 11 confederate states to do so. The writing is fluid and the thoughts and conclusions understandable by the current readers. The american civil war started after southerners attacked fort sumter in 1861 and ended when lee surrendered to grant at the appomattox court house in 1865.
The american civil war was the first in which large armies depended heavily on railroads to bring supplies. Although traditional histories of the civil war have stressed the battles and campaigns as set pieces and the rivers of the south as especially important barriers, the ebb and flow of the movements and conflicts took shape around the railroad lines. Americas unfinished revolution 18631877 by eric foner, the republic for which it stands. What role did railroads play after the civil war and reconstruction.
The civil war librarian blog helps civil war enthusiasts and academics stay current on civil war news. It has emerged as the premier account of the impact of the northern railroads on the american civil war and the corresponding impact of the war on railroad administration and construction. Southern dissenters in the civil war and reconstruction louisiana state university, 2003. Working magic with cornstalks and beanpoles national. This article is part of the history of rail transport by country series wooden railroads, called wagonways, were built in the united states starting from the 1720s. Railroads and reconstruction railroads made a large contribution to the reconstruction of the southern economy after the american civil war. The civil war is the first war in which railroads were a major factor. The book of the great railway celebrations of 1857.
I have also consulted secondary sources and dissertations on the civil war era and on. This book describes the southern republicans post civil war railroad aid programthe central element of the gospel of prosperity designed. During the american civil war, the railroad was a vital link between richmond, the confederate capital, and the rest of the confederacy. Presidential reconstruction following the american civil war can best be described as. See also confederate railroads in the american civil war. This is a list of confederate railroads in operation or used by the confederate states of america during the american civil war. The central pacific laid track from sacramento eastward and the union pacific from omaha westward, each planning to eventually meet in the middle to connect the tracks. The physical destruction wrought by the invading union forces was enormous, and the old social and economic order founded on slavery had collapsed completely, with nothing to replace it.
But it did help show thousands of black men and women the way from the slavery of the south to freedom in the north. Railroad construction in the decades after the civil war. The line remained largely in confederate hands throughout the war and was essential to the rapid movement of troops and supplies, especially between richmond and the shenandoah valley. At the end of the civil war, the defeated south was a ruined land. What were the end results of the compromise of 1877. Texas responded to the election of abraham lincoln by joining the confederacy in early 1861, a few weeks before the first shots were fired at fort sumter. Ive read all here except the republic of suffering i enjoyed the differing perspectives between foote, cotton, and mcphereson as they covered the same ground. After the divisive, destructive civil war, abraham lincoln had a plan to reconcile the country and make it whole again. Numbering all the bones is a historical fiction novel about slavery becoming illegal in the united states. Like edgar turners earlier book, victory rode the rails. Mary chesnut was forever train traveling to richmond, etc. President lincoln was assassinated at the end of the civil war, however, and never had the chance to implement his reconstruction plan. Civil war, was an effort to reunify the divided nation, address and integrate african americans into society by rewriting the nations laws and. The controversies of the 1850s had destroyed the whig party, created the republican party, and divided the democratic party along regional lines.
During the war, the virginia central was a key element in virginias vast rail network, the most extensive in the south. This book describes the southern republicans post civil war railroad aid program the central element of the gospel of prosperity designed to reestablish a. Civil war book list by the new york times far more books have been written about the civil war than about any other event in american history, and lincolns stack of books. While the majority of americans in every part of the country lived and worked on farms, their economic lives differed fundamentally from each other. What happened to virginia cities after the civil war and reconstruction.
The author is a professor at waynesburg university, director of eberly library, and an adjunct instructor in u. Far more books have been written about the civil war than about any other event in american history, and lincolns stack of books towers over that of any other american figure. The american civil war 18611865 was followed by a boom in railroad construction. Tennessee would fall under union control in 1863 and thus would begin the reconstruction process of the state. Before the civil war, it was illegal to help slaves escape because slaves were considered. Politics and constitutionalism in the civil war era. Characterized by the tragedy of the civil war and its aftermath, the period of 1860 to 1876 presented the greatest challenge to.
Reconstruction, white supremacy, and the rise of jim crow. Eric foner is the author of many awardwinning books on the civil war and reconstruction, including the fiery trial. Railroads and the reconstruction of capitalism in the new south huffard on. Chapter one, aptly titled setting the stage, does just that, identifying the prewar roots of the many social and political issues and relationships that would play a role during and after the war. Between 1762 and 1764, at the close of the french and indian war 17561763, a gravity. The fugitive slave act was part of the missouri compromise of 1850. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that.
The teacher may decide to grow the students schema and provide a brief explanation of the civil war and reconstruction during the unit introduction. Economic development during the civil war and reconstruction. The reconstruction of america after the civil war deals with reconstruction. This excerpt expresses the view of the post civil war. Sometimes readers do not read the introduction or look at the publication date and are thereby disappointed. During the reconstruction era, northern money financed the rebuilding and dramatic expansion of railroads throughout the south. It generated a good discussion and provided a better understanding of legal aspects of the war that were not covered extensively in most of the other books assigned for the class. After the civil war, much of the south lay in ruins. During reconstruction, an alliance of southern planters and northern capitalists rebuilt the southern railway system using remnants of the confederate railroads that had been built and destroyed during the civil war. Abraham lincoln and american slavery 2010, has received the pulitzer, bancroft, and lincoln prizes. Causes of the civil war are not a part of the 4th grade teks. Railroads, the civil war, and the making of modern america william g.
Books on reconstruction after the civil war score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Us history civil war and reconstruction flashcards quizlet. By the time of the civil war, the railroads had advanced to allow the movement of large numbers of troops even though railways had not yet matured into a truly integrated transportation system. As a university senior, i spent hundreds of hours researching and then writing a paper on railroad reconstruction in georgia. I am still finding more free books on the civil war and reconstruction. New railroads were also created along the ohio and mississippi rivers. Such businesses were immensely profitable and important extensions of the railroads they served in the postcivil war era. Military railroads during the civil war summer 2011, vol. The civil war demonstrated that the whigs were gone beyond recall and the republicans on the scene to stay. Virginia central railroad during the civil war, the. Thomas webers the northern railroads in the civil war, 18611865 was first published by columbia university press in 1952. This unit only deals with the political, social, and economic impact the war and reconstruction had on texas. Rather than blindly follow the dictates of class consciousness or the planter elite, a majority of the plain folk chose to secede from the union, support the confederacy, and fight again in the postwar era for what they determined to be their own selfinterest.
Conceding that race and unionism were basic issues. Reconstruction was the period of time after the civil war during which the southern states were rebuilt and readmitted to the union. It was a significant chapter in the history of american civil rights the term has two applications. Railroads, the civil war, and the making of modern america fits in. Apush unit 5 sectionalism, the civil war, reconstruction. During the war, new parts were hard to obtain, and the system deteriorated from overuse, lack of maintenance, and systematic destruction by union raiders. Civil war and reconstruction african american history. They began to grown with people, businesses, and factories. The goal of the princeton legacy library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by princeton university press since its founding in 1905. The decades after the civil war were a great age of railroad building. A railroad was reportedly used in the construction of the french fortress at louisburg, nova scotia, in new france now canada in 1720. The hidden history of the underground railroad amazon. Scott huffard publishes new book, engines of redemption.
The strategic place of the railroads in the civil war, thomas book takes a look at the role that railroads had in the making and shaping of the war and reconstruction. Economic development during the civil war and reconstruction the united states, on the verge of civil war, contained two distinct economies. Such a massive literature is bound to produce different schools of opinion, and in civil war circles, one of the most contentious struggles concerns the respective roles of home and battle fronts in the outcome of the war. In addition to identifying details about the various trains and ancillary equipment and buildings in the illustrations, the author explains. Jul 18, 20 in which john green teaches you about reconstruction. Out of print since the 1970s, it has never been out of demand. Total rail mileage in the united states grew from 53,000 miles in 1870 to just under 200,000 miles at the turn of the century, with most of the new track being laid east of the mississippi river in the nations industrial heartland. Railroads of the confederacy american battlefield trust. Start studying apush unit 5 sectionalism, the civil war, reconstruction. List of railroads of the confederate states of america. The civil war and new patterns of american politics. Much of the craze in railroad investment was driven by government land grants and subsidies to the railroads.
In the process of linking virginia, the carolinas, and. History of tennesseecivil war, reconstruction, and the. Also the th, 14th, and 15th amendments gained racial equality. Railroads, reconstruction, and the gospel of prosperity princeton. Mar 19, 2020 the railroadsled to a particular geography of the war and its spatial unfolding.