N.D. | Time Table
This "irregular" timetable, published by the United States Military Railroads department, shows arrival and departure times on the Orange and Alexandria Line for "The Government of Operatives Only."
December 16, 1847 | Newspaper
Asa Whitney's plans for a transcontinetal railroad were met alternately with scorn and acclaim. Whitney anticipated a United States as the central point for international trade; harbors on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts would be fed by rail lines criss-crossing the country, moving goods for import and export easily across country.
November 1, 1854 | Letter
When two slaves were killed on the Blue Ridge Tunnel project, slaveholders held the Virginia Board of Public Works, which had hired slaves through contractors, liable for the losses. Affidavits were taken on the value of the slaves, their character and history. The Attorney General of Virginia, W. P. Bocock, ruled that whether the slaves were killed on the Virginia Central Rail Road Co. or the Blue Ridge project was immaterial, and that the Board of Public Works was liable for reasonable compensation to the slaveholders.
January 25, 1860 | Letter
In this letter from January 25, 1860, A. O. Patterson writes to Samuel Reed discussing difficulties with the Muscatine branch of the State Bank of Iowa, which Patterson managed along with his partners J. W. Dutton and Reed's good friend Charles H. Abbott. Patterson states that he will have to "commence anew," and tells Reed he wishes he would "sell out & go with me to a warmer country." He also states that he believes a grant to the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad is in danger of being forfeited "on account of not having 75 miles done."
April 30, 1860 | Letter
In this letter from April 30, 1860, John R. Boyle writes to Samuel Reed stating that the prospects for railroad work west of Iowa City, Iowa do not look good for the season. He notes that the governor of Missouri vetoed a state bill which had appropriated four or five million dollars "to finish up some of those roads now only part finished," and concludes "R Roading seems to be dead." He asks Reed to let him know if he hears of any work.
May 17, 1860
In this letter from May 17, 1860, Charles H. Abbott writes to Samuel Reed from Chicago recommending an acquaintance for employment as a farm hand. He also notes that "we are having great times here" on account of the Republican National Convention. He teases Reed about his support of Stephen A. Douglas, writing "come up and be converted to the true Republicans of /76 or will you wait to take the chances of the Little Giant at Baltimore."
July 6, 1860 | Letter
In this letter from July 6, 1860, Charles H. Abbott writes to Samuel Reed discussing the completion of the harvest and the prices of crops. He states that he heard Reed "had a great time at the Douglass celebration at Joliet [Illinois]," and teases him about the fact that the Joliet state prisoners also strongly supported Douglas in a mock election.
August 11, 1860 | Illustration
This image from the August 11, 1860 issue of Harper's Weekly offers a cartoonist's rendering of the misleading term "AfterDonkey Engine."
October 3, 1860
In this letter from October 3, 1860, Samuel Reed writes to his wife informing her that he has returned from his trip into the South. He tells her the engineer who promised him and John R. Boyle work was mistaken about the time it would be available and they do not know yet whether they will get it. He describes the wealth present in Vicksburg, Mississippi and states that he found it "very comfortable to have all the help wanted about a place and to feel that they are stationary and will not leave if any fault is found with them." He describes the slaves as "contented and happy," noting that they are better dressed than the laboring classes of the North. He also notes that Stephen A. Douglas is to speak in Chicago "and there will be a gathering of the people that will make the black Republicans quil in their shoes."
July 1, 1862
The mechanism for the creation of the Union Pacific Railroad Company, this document is a demonstration of the intricate relationship between the business of the railroad and the business of government and expansion.
February 14, 1863
In this report of the Agricultural Committee to the House of Representatives, the importance of European immigration into the American West for the continued prosperity and growth of the nation is emphasized in a call for the establishment of an Emigration Bureau. Note the emphasis on the need for internal improvements (including the railroad) to facilitate the mobility of immigrants and agricultural products.
March 2, 1863
In this letter from March 2, 1863, Samuel Reed writes to his wife expressing concern over the appearance of cannon in Joliet, Illinois and the potential violation of "the liberties of the people." He describes the political climate in Burlington, Iowa as "not as pleasant as I could wish," and is particularly disturbed by the wholesale treatment of Democrats as traitors. Reed also details his tiresome trip back to Burlington, and notes a reminiscence of "old times and troubles on the M. & M. R.R." resulting from an impromptu visit from a Mr. Rheinhart.
March 15, 1863
In this letter from March 15, 1863, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing a debate between a Democratic state senator and Republican army officers which he observed while traveling. Reed defends the Democrat's right to free speech, arguing that he said "nothing disloyal" but rather spoke unpleasant truths which the Republicans did not wish to accept. Reed also notes that he may be able to travel home for a visit in the middle of April and intends to have his photograph taken at that time.
March 17, 1864 | Book
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.
April 20, 1865 | Letter
In this letter from April 20, 1865, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing the difficulty of traveling by stagecoach and mentions that he heard the news of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Reed notes that their party was the first to inform many people of the President's death. He also describes a memorial service in Omaha, NE.
June 16, 1865 | Letter
In this letter from June 16, 1865, Danforth H. Ainsworth writes to Samuel Reed describing the progress of the Union Pacific Railroad construction in and around Omaha, Nebraska. He states that unwillingness on the part of the President and the Secretary of the Interior to approve a change of the line to Mud Creek caused quite a bit of excitement in Omaha, noting that "the Omahas were pretty thoroughly frightened, and for a few days Bellevue stock had an upward tendency." Ainsworth also tells Reed that he wrote to Mrs. Reed to tell her "she might consider you beyond danger from indians, at least on your trip to Salt Lake."
July 18, 1866 | Letter
In this letter from July 18, 1866, Samuel Reed writes to his wife describing a fierce political fight involving Thomas C. Durant and George Francis Train of the Union Pacific Railroad. Their larger-than-life personalities cause Reed to comment that "one stage coach or steam boat could not hold two such men."
January 15, 1867 | Letter
In this letter from January 15, 1867, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing his desire, but his inability, to go west soon. He mentions that the Union Pacific's directors continue to talk about the possibility of bridging the Missouri River between Omaha and Council Bluffs, but "there has been nothing done yet about settling the question."
January 17, 1867 | Letter
In this letter from January 17, 1867, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing a "stormy meeting" of the Union Pacific Railroad's executive committee. He is fearful that "the progress of the road will be very much retarded" by proposed changes "in the mode of building the road."
January 22, 1867 | Letter
In this letter from January 22, 1867, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing the continuing internal debate over the future of the Union Pacific Railroad.
June 17, 1868 | Government document
The U.S. Senate Committee on the District of Columbia hears testimony about the forcible ejection of Catherine Brown from the Alexandria and Washington Railroad coach. Multiple witnesses are called and the circumstances of her removal are described.
June 18, 1868 | Newspaper
The railroad's segregation of Catharine Brown in February 1868 and her subsequent lawsuit against the company came to the immediate attention of Senator Charles Sumner (Massachusetts) and Senator Waitman Willey (West Virginia), both of whom sat on the Senate's District of Columbia Committee. At their urging, the Senate Committee launched an investigation into the affair, deposed dozens of witnesses, and issued a stinging report against the railroad company. Many of these same witnesses testified later in Brown's civil suit against the railroad company.
May 29, 1869 | Illustration
This image was a metaphor for where the nation was going, although it said little about where the nation had been. Created by Alfred R. Waud, one of the most prolific Civil War sketch artists and lithographers, the image suggested a national tapestry of progress. Far from binding the nation, railroads and the culture that developed around them had been one of the root causes of discord and division.
1870 | Illustration
Richard Cobden, a leading Liberal in Parliament, was also invested in the Illinois Central Railroad. He took two major trips to the United States, first in 1835 and again in 1859. During his first trip he traveled on railroads for a total of just ninety miles, from Lowell, Mass., to Boston, and then to Providence, R.I. On his second trip, twenty-four years later, he traveled 4,000 miles on American railroads.
January 5, 1872 | Letter
In this January 5, 1872 letter from C. R. Schaller to A. E. Touzalin, Schaller outlines a plan to use London's conservative press to advertise the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad Company's lands in Nebraska.
March 30, 1872 | Illustration
This image from the March 30, 1872 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts a cartoonist's view of justice "derailing" a corrupt ring on the Erie Railroad.
1877 | Speech
In 1907, the Colorado Commandery of the Loyal Legion of the United States reprinted this account of General Grenville Dodge's campaign against the plains Indians. The Loyal Legion praised Dodge's 1864-1865 campaign as a "signal victory over the most vindictive, barbarous and treacherous enemies our soldiers have ever been called on to fight." Responding to Indian attacks on stagecoaches, trains, and telegraphs, Dodge's account recalls his efforts to "open and protect" the territories up to the Platte line, and to "whip all the Indians in the way."
July 11, 1877 | Newspaper
This July 11, 1877 circular announces a wage reduction for workers on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
July 16, 1877 | Newspaper
The American reports that John King, vice-president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, requested state militia to guard the property of the railroad and quell the "riot." West Virginia Governor Henry M. Mathews in a telegraph assures King that he will do everything in his power to "suppress the riot."
July 17, 1877 | Newspaper
This dispatch from West Virginia Governor Henry M. Matthews, reprinted in the July 17, 1877 edition of the Baltimore Sun, states Matthews' desire to preserve the peace and protect the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's trains.
July 18, 1877 | Newspaper
This letter to the editor by Captain Charles J. Faulkner, printed in the July 19, 1877 edition of the Baltimore Sun defends his decision to leave the railroad yard at Martinsburg, West Virginia. Faulkner's letter comes in response to newspaper editors who suggested that his company left too soon.
July 18, 1877 | Newspaper
This excerpt from the July 18, 1877 edition of the Baltimore American lists several military dispatches in response to the strike, including correspondence from West Virginia Governor Henry M. Matthews asking Secretary of War George W. McCrary for assistance and tactical messages between the field commanders.
July 18, 1877 | Newspaper
West Virginia Governor Henry M. Matthews replies to Secretary of War George McCrary's request for more information about the state's military strength, noting that some of the state and local militia were sympathetic to the strikers. He also claims that U.S. troops are necessary to prevent "bloodshed."
July 18, 1877 | Newspaper
West Virginia Governor Henry M. Mathews requests United States troops to quell what he called "domestic violence" and to stop the activities of what he deemed "unlawful combinations."
July 18, 1877 | Newspaper
On Wednesday, July 18, 1877, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett sends a message to President Hayes urging him to send United States troops to end the strike and the "open intimidation" of railroad employees who did not join the strike.
July 18, 1877 | Newspaper
In response to West Virginia Governor Henry M. Matthews request to President Hayes for U.S. troops in the crisis, Secretary of War George W. McCrary replies by asking for details about the scale and scope of the "insurrection."
July 18, 1877 | Newspaper
On July 18, 1877, President Rutherford B. Hayes issued a proclamation calling the citizens engaged in the strike to peacefully disperse and return to their homes.
July 19, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 19, 1877 edition of the Baltimore American details the events that led to the Federal government sending troops to disperse the rioters.
July 19, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 20, 1877 edition of the London Times provides a description of the strike-related events in West Virginia.
July 20, 1877 | Newspaper
On July 20, 1877, Maryland Governor John L. Carroll requests military assistance from President Rutherford B. Hayes to stop the "rioters" and prevent "domestic violence."
July 20, 1877 | Newspaper
In this July 20, 1877 proclamation, Maryland Governor John L. Carroll asks the citizens of Maryland to abstain from acts of lawlessness and assist the authorities in maintaining law and order. Carroll refers to the strike as a "conspiracy" to interfere with the business of the railroad.
July 20, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 21, 1877 edition of the London Times gives an account of the strike's changing scope following the arrival of Federal troops as well as the suspicion of its growth in other cities around the country.
July 21, 1877 | Letter
On July 21, 1877, Maryland Governor John L. Carroll sends Secretary of War George W. McCray a report, informing him that order has been restored in the state.
July 21, 1877 | Newspaper
On July 21, 1877 Maryland Governor John L. Carroll issued a second proclamation, asking the state's citizens to maintain law and order.
July 21, 1877 | Newspaper
On July 21, 1877, President Rutherford B. Hayes issued a proclamation ordering all strikers to disperse and return home. He noted that a state of "domestic violence" existed in Cumberland, Maryland, and "along the line" of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
July 21, 1877 | Letter
On July 21, 1877 Secretary of War George W. McCrary informs Maryland Governor John L. Carroll of the troops that are coming to his aid.
July 21, 1877 | Letter
On July 21, 1877, Secretary of War George W. McCrary sends a message to Maryland Governor John L. Carroll telling him that federal troops are coming to his aid.
July 21, 1877 | Newspaper
On July 21, 1877, two Baltimore Police Commissioners, the Maryland Governor, and the President of the Board of Police ask residents to abstain from gathering in crowds.
July 23, 1877
In this article from the July 23, 1877 edition of the Toledo Blade, the editors support the striking railroad workers, but condemn the "mob of scoundrels who took advantage of the occasion to commit all sorts of depredations."
July 23, 1877
This article from the July 23, 1877 edition of the Chicago Daily Tribune outlines the various causes of the strike—placing blame on railroad workers and railroad executives—and stresses that the remedy to this situation can only be achieved once mob rule has been replace by law and order.
July 23, 1877 | Newspaper
This July 23, 1877 article in the Baltimore American notes Secretary of War George W. McCrary's order to General William H. French to send troops to Cumberland, Maryland to "suppress the riot."
July 23, 1877
This article from the July 23, 1877 edition of the Chicago Daily Tribune suggests that railroad corporations should adopt new policies to meet the needs of railroad workers, which will also keep many of the corporations from falling into bankruptcy.
July 23, 1877
This article from the July 23, 1877 edition of the St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat condemns the recent actions of the railroad strikers and hopes that the city can avoid a repeat of the violence in Pittsburgh, where the mob has "pillaged and burned and murdered in the carnival of crime."
July 23, 1877
This article from the July 23, 1877 edition of the St. Louis Dispatch advises the Missouri Pacific Railroad to "set the example to other roads to promptly acquiesce in all reasonable demands" by the workers in order to peacefully end the railroad strike.
July 23, 1877
This article from the July 23, 1877 edition of the Chicago Inter-Ocean argues that a strike cannot be allowed to start in Chicago, or the city will see the same bloodshed and violence as in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The editors state that violence must not be allowed to flourish; despite the contention between railroad workers and railroad executives, peace should trump workplace disagreements.
July 24, 1877 | Newspaper
This selection from the July 24, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post includes three articles. The first two note the ability of citizens to keep peace, that military aid was unnecessary, and that railroad workers were not included in the mob. The third section notes recuperation on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.
July 24, 1877
This article from the July 24, 1877 edition of the St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat commends the actions of the Missouri railroads, which have done their best to support the workers and have "removed the last excuse for disorder or violence." The editors condemn Communists, but support the striking workers in their quest for higher wages—a request the newspaper hopes the company will consider.
July 24, 1877
This article from the July 24, 1877 edition of the St. Louis Dispatch notes the outbreak of violence in the city and states that "the railroad war in St. Louis has actually begun." The newspaper condemns the workers who are destroying property, but supports the "real workingmen" who "do not cut their own throats in this way."
July 25, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 25, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post informs readers of the state of the strike in Pittsburgh and notes the Governor's response.
July 25, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 25, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post is optimistic about the handling of the strike in Pittsburgh but disapproving of strikes at manufacturing establishments.
July 25, 1877
This article from the July 25, 1877 edition of the Chicago Inter-Ocean gives notice of the newspaper's support for the striking workers. The editors state that "we recognize their privilege to do as they please about working, and shall utter no reproach against them," as long as they abstain from violence.
July 25, 1877
This article from the July 25, 1877 edition of the Toledo Blade states the newspaper's strong oppositon to the "tyranny" of the railroad union, whose "managers care nothing for the welfare of the community at large, nor the best good of its members."
July 25, 1877 | Newspaper
This July 25, 1877 article from the Pittsburgh Daily Post notes the response of the federal government to the strikes and describes where military personnel will be stationed.
July 26, 1877 | Newspaper
This editorial from the July 26, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post discusses the social ramifications of the strike and wonders why a solution cannot be reached between the railroad owners and the railroad strikers.
July 27, 1877 | Newspaper
These articles from the July 27, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post note the response of European countries to the recent American railroad strikes and discuss American Cabinet proceedings in relation to the strike.
July 27, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 27, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post notes Philadelphia's frustration with Pittsburgh over the railroad strike and mentions that city's suggestion that the Pennsylvania Central Railroad be routed around Pittsburgh to ensure future rail service to Philadelphia.
July 27, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 27, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post briefly accounts a court proceeding concerning a collision on the West Penn Railroad in which five men were killed.
July 27, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 27, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post notes the debate in Washington on how to settle the problems with the railroads.
July 28, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 28, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post presents a series of opinions and responses concerning the reasons for the strike.
July 28, 1877 | Newspaper
This section of articles from the July 28, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post notes the nationwide events occurring in relation to the strike and include a discussion of the attempts at negotiations between officials and laborers.
July 28, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 28, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post notes a misunderstanding between the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Colonel Thomas A. Scott regarding whether or not Scott could have prevented the outbreak of violence.
July 28, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 28, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post notes the actions of the federal government in response to the strike at this point, including instructions to military commanders and the president's policy.
July 30, 1877 | Newspaper
This selection of articles from the July 30, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post notes the events of the railroad strike around the country and describes the situation regarding current railroad operations.
July 30, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 30, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post presents a number of miscellaneous items in relation to the current behavior of strikers, as well as responses to the National Guard's occupation of the city.
July 30, 1877 | Newspaper
These selections from the July 30, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post briefly note Henry Ward Beecher's clarification of a previous controversial statement. A court victory for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, which was being sued, is also described.
July 30, 1877 | Newspaper
This brief article from the July 30, 1877 issue of the Pittsburgh Daily Post notes the Cabinet's assurance of the end of the strike, with no further interference on railroad lines.
August 8, 1877 | Illustration
This cover image from the August 8, 1877 issue of PUCK Magazine depicts Henry Ward Beecher as a hypocrite.
August 13, 1877 | Newspaper
This August 13, 1877 article reports on the violence and destruction of the Great Railroad strike in cities across the eastern United States.
1878 | Government report
Norman M. Smith describes the moment of firing into the crowd in Pittsburgh and his impressions of the military and the "mob."
1878 | Government report
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.
1878 | Government report
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.
1878 | Government report
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.
August 24, 1894 | Newspaper
Edward Rosewater, a Republican leader and editor of the Daily Bee, accuses the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad of lavishing free passes as bribes to get Thomas Majors the Republican nomination for governor in 1894.
August 25, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican U.S. Senate candidate John M. Thurston campaigned at local party club meetings across the state in 1894, poking fun of the turbulence in the Democratic and Populist opposition and of his opponent, William Jennings Bryan.
August 26, 1894 | Newspaper
The Bryan-Thurston Senate race took place in the context of a massive strike by Pullman car and railroad workers in the summer of 1894. Both men vied for the support of workingmen.
August 28, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican editor Edward Rosewater went on a campaign to discredit Thomas Majors, the Republican nominee for governor in 1894, and to expose railroad influence in the campaign. Rosewater's disgruntled disgust with party fealty to the railroads did not prevent him from attacking the Democratic Party as beholden to trusts and against the interests of workingmen.
August 28, 1894 | Newspaper
A Congressional commission investigated the causes of the Pullman and railway strikes in 1894. The investigation probed into the workings of the Pullman company town and the living conditions, wages, and independence of working men at Pullman.
August 30, 1894 | Newspaper
Carrying on his crusade against the railroads in politics, Republican editor Edward Rosewater criticizes the appointment of receivers for the Union Pacific and the Oregon Short Line. He argues that the judges are in the service of the Union Pacific and the result will be continued monopoly power over rates and service in the region.
August 30, 1894 | Newspaper
Calling the opposition "pops," a diminutive term to dismiss and criticize the Populists and any of their allies, the Republican newspaper in Lincoln, Nebraska, criticizes Bryan's efforts to campaign for money reform as hypocritical and self-serving.
September 2, 1894 | Newspaper
The Republican State Journal criticizes Bryan and his Populists allies in Congress for their votes on the sugar tariff, a protectionist measure that, the paper asserts, practically killed the local sugar beet industry. Bryan is also criticized for his editorship of the Omaha World Herald.
September 2, 1894 | Newspaper
Thurston campaigns in York before large crowds and presents the Republican message in 1894 on money, trade, and labor.
September 3, 1894 | Newspaper
Bryan's candidacy and his move to fuse with the Populists and campaign for free silver went against the Cleveland White House administration. In Nebraska the Democratic forces divided and some remained "gold bugs," staunch conservatives on the money issue and others remained reluctant to break with the Democratic presidential administration on such important issues. The Republican State Journal seeks to exploit the deep divisions in the Democratic Party.
September 3, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican editor Edward Rosewater criticizes the strike commission investigation and argues little of value will emerge from its recommendations because railroads have so much influence. Rosewater includes a little poem about Thomas Scott, the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, ridiculing him as self-absorbed and arrogant.
September 6, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican Editor Edward Rosewater welcomes the consolidation of the Southern Railway out of its receivership and hopes that bigness will streamline railroad operations and open up opportunities for government oversight and control.
September 7, 1894 | Newspaper
William Jennings Bryan's World Herald calls attention to the demands of workers and the situation evolving around the Union Pacific receivership.
September 8, 1894 | Newspaper
The Republican State Journal emphasizes the Democratic Party's internal divisions over the fusion with Populists.
September 8, 1894 | Newspaper
The Bryan-Thurston campaign took place amidst national news of the trial of Eugene Debs and others in the American Railway Union for violence and disobeying court injunctions in the 1894 Pullman strikes.
September 8, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican editor Edward Rosewater offers to receive and publish the public's comments on the problem of railroad corruption in politics.
September 12, 1894 | Newspaper
In the middle of the 1894 election season, word spread that various railroads, including the Union Pacific, gave orders to their employees not to act in or speak about politics.
September 14, 1894 | Newspaper
Even newspapers editors such as Edward Rosewater who took strong stands against railroad corruption followed the doings of the railroad business. A visit from a "railroad man" to any town was a newsworthy event and a moment for speculation about the state of business affairs and the prospects of the town.
September 14, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican editor Edward Rosewater accuses the Democratic Congress and Democratic candidates of attempting to gain political advantages from passing an "anti-trust" piece of legislation. He also criticizes the Democratic administration for failure to enforce anti-trust acts.
September 16, 1894 | Newspaper
Edward Rosewater, Republican editor, argues that the railroads charge "tax" on a part of nearly every commodity in the United States. He welcomes the consolidation of railroad management and the professionalization of the managers as a sign of future government regulation and fairer, more predicatable business practices.
September 17, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican editor Edward Rosewater had played a central role in the party's organization, but broke ranks with Thurston's Republican cohorts and he resigned from the state committee and campaigned in 1894 for cleaning up politics from railroad influence.
September 23, 1894 | Newspaper
The Republican Bee publishes a letter from a longtime Nebraska Democrat, arguing that the Democratic Party has been in servitude to the railraods and that only a restoration of public spirit will revitalize the political life of either party.
September 23, 1894 | Newspaper
The Republican State Journal calls attention to Bryan's tactics within the Democratic Party, emphasizing his inability to compromise, his miscalculation of the Populist strength, and his failure to mend fences with the administration Democrats.
September 26, 1894 | Newspaper
The Republican State Journal ridicules Bryan's Populist-Democratic fusion as an unlikely alliance and a fantasy.
September 27, 1894 | Newspaper
William Jennings Bryan's newspaper reports the events of his nomination at the state convention, emphasizing the joining of forces to defeat the Republicans and the deep history of the Democratic Party.
September 28, 1894 | Newspaper
Bryan challenges Thurston to a debate.
September 28, 1894 | Newspaper
After the Democratic convention nominates Bryan, the Republican State Journal ridicules Bryan as pompous and self-serving, blind to the consequences of his actions.
September 28, 1894 | Newspaper
The Pullman strike investigation opens up inquiries into tax assessment and valuation, another source of local conflict with large railroad corporations, and Republican editor Edward Rosewater calls attention to the financial manipulations of these companies as further evidence of railroad corruption.
September 29, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican editor Edward Rosewater's determined campaign against railroads and against the Republican candidate for governor Tom Majors culminates in an open forum and debate. The Republican State Journal presents Rosewater as a pompous and ineffective gadfly.
September 30, 1894 | Newspaper
The editor of The Omaha Bee quotes economist Richard T. Ely and explores the idea of the strikes as a "necessary evil," one that reveals the broken nature of the industrial, railroad political economy. Rates and the proper valuation of railroad properties were a crucial public issue.
October 5, 1894 | Newspaper
In the era before direct election of senators, candidates often stood unofficially for a period of time, and in 1894 John Thurston was not officially nominated by the Republican Party with a platform. His standing was as a citizen and a party member. Bryan hopes to force Thurston's views into the open and directly challenge him, but the editor of the Bee and other Republicans consider these offers little more than political posturing.
October 7, 1894 | Newspaper
The Republican State Journal ridicules rival Republican editor Edward Rosewater, who was giving speeches around Nebraska in a campaign to eliminate railroad influence in politics and prevent the election of Tom Majors as governor. The State Journal depicts Rosewater as a self-centered buffoon.
October 8, 1894 | Newspaper
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 8, 1894 | Newspaper
Bryan's World Herald warns Democrats that Republican efforts to peel off conservative Cleveland, gold bug Democrats will end in Republican advantage.
October 9, 1894 | Newspaper
The U.S. Senate campaign in 1894 featured long speeches by candidates at town gatherings across Nebraska. John Thurston presents his case for defending American interests first by contrasting McKinley as the American with Democratic internationalism.
October 10, 1894 | Newspaper
Railroads changed the spatial relationship of cities and regions, altering trade routes, access to markets, credit, and information. Despite his campaign against railroad political corruption, the editor of The Omaha Bee celebrates the new Billings route with great enthusiasm for the opportunities it will create.
October 14, 1894 | Newspaper
Plans for the joint Thurston-Bryan debate proceed.
October 15, 1894 | Newspaper
Bryan's World Herald puts the tariff issue at the center of the 1894 campaign and argues that the tariff is a tax on working people because it results in higher prices for all goods and commodities. The newspaper also editorializes about a recent train robbery, arguing that the Wells Fargo men did not demonstrate enough manliness in the confrontation.
October 16, 1894 | Newspaper
Railroads presented political controversies at the very local level, in city hall meetings and town councils over the location of their depots, the kind of service they might run, and a host of other social issues.
October 16, 1894 | Newspaper
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 20, 1894 | Newspaper
Bryan's World Herald criticizes John Thurston's claims in the joint debate that the Republicans defend American working men with the protectionist tariff.
October 21, 1894 | Newspaper
The Republican State Journal depicts the disagreement over tactics in the Democratic Party because of Bryan's fusion with the Populists.
October 21, 1894 | Newspaper
Bryan commissioned journalist and author Elia W. Peattie to cover the joint debates. One of a small number of women in the audience, Peattie explains "how a woman viewed" the candidates' respective speeches, political views, manners, and fashion.
October 21, 1894 | Newspaper
Bryan's World Herald publishes information on Bryan's next speeches and appearances, as well as reminds voters that the only way for Bryan to be elected Senator is for Democrats to elect Democratic representatives to the legislature.
October 21, 1894 | Newspaper
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 22, 1894 | Newspaper
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 22, 1894 | Newspaper
In this roundup of Western news about "progress," the Omaha Daily Bee depicts the Indians as unable to manage relationships with aggressive, and presumably corrupt, railroad companies. It applauds the decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to restrain the railroads from building across Indian lands. The other news of the West evokes the progress that comes with railroads and that such decisions denied Indians.
October 24, 1894 | Newspaper
Ever vigilant against railroad political power, the Republican Omaha Daily Bee warns against the possibility of voter fraud in the election through the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad employees whom the company is moving back into Nebraska right before the election.
October 25, 1894 | Newspaper
The Nebraska State Journal ridicules Bryan for his attractive looks and youth, and sarcastically dismisses Populist-Democractic gubernatorial candidate Silas Holcomb as a local loan shark. The paper also prints a humorous poem mocking Bryan.
October 26, 1894 | Newspaper
Bryan's World Herald emphasizes the stock watering and financial schemes of railroads that have gone bankrupt. Bryan's campaign consistently points to the railroads as bloated and overvalued in stocks and, as a consequence, threatening to ruin the reputation of the United States in world financial markets.
October 28, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican editor Edward Rosewater attacks the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad as the silent moving force behind the conservative Omaha business men's associations and their efforts to persuade voters in smaller towns to support Tom Majors for governor.
October 28, 1894 | Newspaper
Even though the Omaha Daily Bee campaigned against railroad political power, the newspaper celebrates the opening of a new line it expects to reshape the West and enhance the prominence and position of Omaha, Lincoln, and other cities.
October 31, 1894 | Newspaper
Bryan's World Herald reports on the endorsements of labor organizations.
November 1, 1894 | Newspaper
The Republican paper emphasizes the split in the Democratic party between Bryan and the Cleveland administration.
November 1, 1894 | Newspaper
In this advertisement in Bryan's World Herald, the State Republican Party of Nebraska presents the case against Bryan and Populism as harmful to the state's interests. Populism "burns up value" in Nebraska's assets, the ad charges, and accuses fellow Republican Edward Rosewater, editor of the Omaha Daily Bee, of perfidy and betrayal. The ad depicts Rosewater, a Jew, as a "Shylock" and "petty" tyrant, emphasizing instead the manliness of the Republican candidates and leaders.
November 1, 1894 | Newspaper
The quality, availability, and cost of railroad service in a local community often became a contentious political issue pitting locals against non-locals and spilling into local political contests. The Omaha Bee, an enemy of railroad power of any sort, emphasizes the local community's "right" to equal service.
November 3, 1894 | Newspaper
Conservative Republicans organized "Business Men's Associations" in the 1894 campaign to fund and support Republican candidates, elect John M. Thurston, and defeat William Jennings Bryan. These associations spawned considerable political debate about the role of business in politics.
November 3, 1894 | Illustration
In 1894, Democrat William Jennings Bryan ran against Republican John M. Thurston for Nebraska's open seat in the United States Senate. During the race, the Omaha Bee, a Republican reform paper, campaigned against the Burlington & Missouri Railroad as an especially nefarious force endangering the republic. In this political cartoon, Editor Edward Rosewater broadened the paper's attack to include all monopolies.
November 3, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican editor Edward Rosewater attacks "the corporation anaconda" he sees in the Nebraska 1894 campaign. The intimidation of railroad employees and the organization and direction of railroad money are his chief targets.
November 3, 1894 | Newspaper
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 5, 1894 | Newspaper
Bryan's World Herald defends his record on behalf of the working man and against Republican charges that he favors wage reductions.
November 8, 1894 | Newspaper
The Republican State Journal celebrates the Republican victory in the November 1894 state and Congressional elections.
July 9, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 13, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 13, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 13, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 13, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 14, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 15, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 15, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 16, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 16, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 16, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 16, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 16, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 16, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 16, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 21, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
July 22, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 7, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 7, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 7, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 7, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 10, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 10, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 10, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 10, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 10, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 10, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 10, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 10, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 10, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 10, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 12, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 12, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 12, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 13, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 19, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 22, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 22, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 24, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 25, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 26, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 26, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 26, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 27, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 27, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 28, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 28, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 31, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
August 31, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 1, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 3, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 3, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 5, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 7, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 11, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 12, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 12, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 12, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 12, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 14, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 14, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 14, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 14, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 14, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 14, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 14, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 15, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 16, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 18, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 18, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 19, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 19, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 19, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 19, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 19, 1896 | Speech
This speech, delivered by Nebraska Senator John M. Thurston on September 19, 1896, addresses an audience of workingmen and mechanics in Chicago, Illinois. In his address, Thurston argues that the "promise of something for nothing is false and dangerous to the people."
September 19, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 21, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 21, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 22, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 24, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 24, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 25, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 25, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 25, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 25, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 26, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 26, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 26, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 28, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 28, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 28, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 29, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 29, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 30, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 30, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 30, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
September 30, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 1, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 1, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 1, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 1, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 3, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 5, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 6, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 6, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 6, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 6, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 7, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 7, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 8, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 9, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 9, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 10, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 12, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 12, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 13, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 13, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 13, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 14, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 14, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 15, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 15, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 17, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 18, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 19, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 19, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 20, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 20, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 21, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 21, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 22, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 22, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 22, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 23, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 23, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 23, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 23, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 24, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 24, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 24, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 24, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 24, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 26, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 26, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 27, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 27, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 27, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 29, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 29, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 30, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 31, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 31, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
October 31, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
November 2, 1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
1896 | Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan.
1922 | Diary
This August 2, 1877 entry from President Rutherford B. Hayes' diary notes the proximity of his relatives to the violence in Pittsburgh.
1932 | Map
This map from the 1932 Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States displays the extent of the Southern railroad system in 1913.