The Railroad and the State: War, Politics, and Technology in Nineteenth-Century America - Hardcover

by Robert G. Angevine (Author)

This book examines the complex and changing relationship between the U.S. Army and American railroads during the nineteenth century.

Front Jacket

The Railroad and the State is the first book to examine as a coherent whole the complex and changing relationship between the U.S. Army and American railroads during the nineteenth century. It details the Army's role in the development of the preeminent technology of the era, including the assignment of military engineers to assist early railroad planning and construction, the military use of railroads during the Civil War, and the exchange of military protection for cheap transportation in the American west. The book's objective is to deepen the reader's understanding of the role of the military in technological change and industrial development and of the relationship between the military and private enterprise in nineteenth-century America. It is intended for audiences interested in American military history, American economic and industrial history, the history of technology, and the history of the American West, as well as the history of railroads.

Back Jacket

It whets our appetite for a fresh look at the relationship of the army and the railraods in the first half of the twentieth century.--History: Reviews of New Books
"Angevine's book deals with major historical issues that go beyond the formal scope of his essay, a primary indication of a book that is not only good but also important."--Civil War Book Review

Author Biography

Robert G. Angevine is a Research Analyst at the Strategic Assessment Center, SAIC. He also serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor at George Mason University and American University.