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  • | Illustration

    The Old World and the New

    American railroad progress is compared with the adoption of the technology in England.

  • | Illustration

    The Model Conductor

    The characters encoutered along the rail journey are part of the artist's experience.

  • | Book

    The Marrow of Tradition

    In this excerpt from Charles Chesnutt's novel, the African American doctor protagonist faces the reality of segregation on Southern railroads.

  • | Book

    The Congressional Globe [excerpts]

    In these excerpts from a Senate debate over regulations for a District of Columbia street railroad, many typical arguments for and against public segregation are aired in language that also reveals attitudes towards race and equality as the Civil War continued.

  • | Time Table

    The Chicago Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railway

    The Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railway in 1912 stressed the opportunities in the Northwestern United States. This "new land" would allow the farmer to "pay for his land in two crops" and the "investor" to "make large and quick profits."

  • | Time Table

    The Burlington

    The Chicago, Burlington & Northern's 1891 time table adopted a compass-like circular image representing the major points accessible on the line. This table also featured the history of the line and the picturesque sites along its route.

  • | Book

    The Book of the Great Railway Celebrations of 1857

    Works like The Book of The Great Railway Celebrations were published with multiple purposes - they served great publicity for railroad companies and town boosters, as well as celebrations of technological advancements and ingenuity. The detailed illustrations and descriptions of the celebrations also made them prized souvenirs for event attendees.

  • | Book

    The Awakening

    An excerpt from Kate Chopin's The Awakening.

  • | Government report

    Testimony of Soloman Coulson, a police officer at the time of the Pittsburgh riot

    Testimony given on February 12, 1878 by Soloman Coulson, a Pittsburgh police officer, described the violence at the railroad roundhouse and the makeup of the crowd gathered outside the roundhouse.

  • | Government report

    Testimony of Roger O'Mara, Chief of Detectives of Pittsburgh

    Roger O'Mara, Pittsburgh Chief of Detectives testified on February 11, 1878 to the committee appointed to investigate the railroad strikes. He emphasizes the inability of the local police force to serve warrants and restrain the crowd.

  • | Government report

    Testimony of Robert Pitcairn to the Committee

    Robert Pitcairn served as the Pittsburg division superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad and had ordered the double-heading of trains on July 19th for all eastbound traffic. Because trains would be twice as long but run with fewer trainmen, workers on the Pennsylvania refused to run the trains and the strike spread from the Baltimore and Ohio onto the Pennsylvania lines. Pitcairn describes his view of the violence in Pittsburg, emphasizing the restraint of the military and the riotousness of the "crowd." Pitcairn places special emphasis on the role of the women in the crowd.

  • | Government report

    Testimony of Major Erasmus L. Wentz, Superintendent of Norfolk and Petersburg R.R

    Major Erasmus L. Wentz, supervising work on the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad, testifies as to the quality of contraband labor over that of Irish workers. Wentz notes that the contrabands work for less pay.

  • | Government report

    Testimony by Norman M. Smith, manager of the Pittsburgh transfer station for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company

    Norman M. Smith describes the moment of firing into the crowd in Pittsburgh and his impressions of the military and the "mob."

  • | Speech

    Terre Haute, IN Speech 1, 1896-10-22

    Speech by William Jennings Bryan.

  • | Speech

    Table Rock, NE Speech, 1896-07-17

    Speech by William Jennings Bryan.

  • | Speech

    Sullivan, IL Speech, 1896-10-23

    Speech by William Jennings Bryan.

  • | Artwork

    Subway Drillers, 1937

  • | Speech

    Sturgis, MI Speech, 1896-09-03

    Speech by William Jennings Bryan.

  • | Speech

    Stuart, IA Speech, 1896-08-07

    Speech by William Jennings Bryan.

  • | Book

    Strikers, Communists, Tramps and Detectives

    In this excerpt from Allan Pinkerton's Strikers, Communists, Tramps and Detectives, Pinkerton gives his opinion regarding the origin of America's Great Railway Strike of 1877.