Notes on the Age of Railroads and Its Social Implications

Richard Ely, an economist, visited Pullman, Illinois in October 1884 for Harper’s Magazine.
Initially impressed by the planned town designed by George M. Pullman for railroad-car factory employees.
Upon speaking with a dissatisfied officer, Ely concluded the town had significant flaws:
- Restrictions on residents with no say in rules.
- Declared: "the idea of Pullman is un-American."

Railroads impacted many aspects of American life, including:
- Standard time and time zones established due to the need for synchronization across distances.
- Growth of towns and communities due to reliability in local transit and westward expansion.
However, the unchecked power of railroad companies resulted in abuses, prompting calls for federal regulation.

Transcontinental Railroad: Facilitated movement across the continent.
George M. Pullman: Established the town of Pullman and controlled living conditions of workers.
Crédit Mobilier: Construction company associated with corruption involving the Union Pacific Railroad.
Munn v. Illinois: Supreme Court case that upheld state regulation of private industry.
Interstate Commerce Act: Law passed to regulate railroad activities at the federal level.

By 1856 railroads reached the Mississippi River, expanded westward rapidly.
Joining of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads at Promontory, Utah (May 10, 1869) marked the first transcontinental railroad completion with a golden spike.
Track mileage grew from 30,000 miles at the start of the Civil War to nearly 180,000 miles by 1890.
Railroad stories of triumph continued alongside harsh working conditions endured by laborers, especially immigrants.

Chinese immigrants worked for Central Pacific and Irish immigrants for Union Pacific.
Fatalities and injuries high:
- 1888 railroad statistics: over 2,000 deaths and 20,000 injuries yearly.
Time zones proposed by Professor C. F. Dowd in 1869 led to synchronization of time across the nation by 1883.

Railroad expansion resulted in the rapid growth of industries (iron, coal, steel, etc.) to meet demand.
New towns established along rail routes (e.g., Abilene, Flagstaff, Denver, Seattle).

George M. Pullman built a factory for railroad cars and a town that provided for workers’ needs (housing, shopping, services).
Despite clean, well-constructed homes, Pullman maintained strict control (e.g., prohibiting loitering, drinking).
A significant strike in 1894 occurred due to refusal to lower rents after wage cuts.

Crédit Mobilier scandal: Union Pacific stockholders contracted their company at inflated prices, pocketing profits and bribing Congress.
Congressional investigations revealed widespread corruption involving high-ranking officials, damaging reputations.
The Grangers, a farmers’ organization, sought government relief against railroad abuses.

Granger Laws passed by various states to regulate railroad rates and practices following farmer dissatisfaction.
Munn v. Illinois (1877) confirmed states’ rights to regulate railroads.
In reaction to public dissatisfaction, the Interstate Commerce Act (1887) established federal oversight of interstate rail rates but faced resistance.

Economic turmoil in the 1893 panic led to significant bankruptcies and consolidation of railroads under a few powerful firms.
By the early 20th century, seven companies dominated two-thirds of the railroads.