American Railroads

In this social history of the impact of railroads on American life, H. Roger Grant concentrates on the railroad's "golden age," 1830-1930. To capture the essence of the nation's railroad experience, Grant explores four fundamental topics - trains and travel, train stations, railroads and community life, and the legacy of railroading in America. Grant recalls the lasting memories left by train travel, both of luxurious Pullman cars and the grit and grind of coal-powered locals.

Before the widespread popularity of automobiles, buses, and trucks, freight and passenger trains bound the nation together. The Station Agent and the American Railroad Experience explores the role of local frontline workers that kept the country's vast rail network running.

On December 18, 1867, the Buffalo and Erie Railroad's eastbound New York Express derailed as it approached the high truss bridge over Big Sister Creek, just east of the small settlement of Angola, New York, on the shores of Lake Erie. The last two cars of the express train were pitched completely off the tracks and plummeted into the creek bed below. When they struck bottom, one of the wrecked cars was immediately engulfed in flames as the heating stoves in the coach spilled out coals and ignited its wooden timbers

Miriam Thaggert illuminates the stories of African American women as passengers and as workers on the nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century railroad. As Jim Crow laws became more prevalent and forced Black Americans to "ride Jim Crow" on the rails, the train compartment became a contested space of leisure and work.

Two hundred years ago, slavery had the Southern United States firmly in its evil grip. Around four million African Americans languished in the most appalling of living conditions, their lives controlled by people who saw them as objects. They were starved, whipped, and put to work despite being pregnant, sick, or so young that they could barely walk.

Discover the real truth behind African American history. You will be amazed to learn about some of the great African Americans and their legacies.

Built for speed and to conquer the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains, at the time of her arrival – and still to this day - she was the most technologically advanced and the last commercially built mainline passenger steam locomotive in the United States. This is the story and celebration of the 75-year legacy of Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad’s No. 614 ‘Greenbrier’ Class J-3a, 4-8-4 steam locomotive.

Transportation is the unsung hero in America's story. Stagecoaches, waterways, canals, railways, busses, and airplanes revolutionized much more than just the way people got around; they transformed the economic, political, and social aspects of everyday life. In Transportation and the American People, renowned historian H. Roger Grant tells the story of American transportation from its slow, uncomfortable, and often dangerous beginnings to the speed and comfort of travel today.

The focus of this selection concerns both the Federal and Confederate efforts to disable or maintain the railroads within the active theaters of the war. Real railroads of iron and steam and ribbons of steel vanishing into the horizon quickly became a strategic objective of both armies in the Civil War. Raiders and protectors were deployed both North and South. The damage inflicted on roadways and rolling stock was not always easy to accomplish.

Embark on a profound journey through the veiled pathways of hope and resilience with The Underground Railroad. This audiobook pierces the shroud of myths surrounding one of history’s most clandestine escapes to freedom. Uncover the true stories of courage that fueled the Underground Railroad. Navigate through the tales of heartbreak, debunked legends, and the heart-stopping realities of those who dared to dream of liberty.

If you want to discover the captivating history of the Underground Railroad, then pay attention...The Underground Railroad wasn’t underground. Nor was it a railroad. It was, however, an awe-inspiring piece of history, and one that speaks of hope even today. Two hundred years ago, slavery had the Southern United States firmly in its evil grip. The only hope that these enslaved people had of escaping their brutal fates was the Underground Railroad. This fabled network delivered tens of thousands of escaped slaves all the way across the northern United States and into Canada.

The Underground Railroad is one of the most taught topics to young schoolchildren, and every American is familiar with the idea of fugitive slaves escaping to Canada and the North with the help of determined abolitionists and even former escaped slaves like Harriet Tubman. The secrecy involved in the Underground Railroad made it one of the most mysterious aspects of the mid-19th century in America, to the extent that claims spread that 100,000 slaves had escaped via the Underground Railroad.

Harriet Tubman was known as a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad. But this wasn’t a railroad that carried trains and freight but rather human lives that were desperately seeking freedom. It was a clandestine group of individuals (hence the name “underground”) scattered across the United States and Canada who helped facilitate the migration of those ensnared in the South’s scourge of slavery to the so-called free states and provinces of the North.

Have you ever wondered why America is the way it is? Do you want to understand the events that have shaped American culture? Are you interested in seeing the long-term historical connections that explain how America moved from a group of colonies to the most powerful nation in history? If so, this book is for you. In simple, straightforward language, this book will take you on a brief journey through the highlights of American history. Filled with interesting facts and historical context, this book is a must-hear for those who are passionate about history or are simply interested in better understanding the history of the United States.