Description
Aaron W. Marrs challenges the accepted understanding of economic and industrial growth in antebellum America with this original study of the history of the railroad in the Old South. Drawing from both familiar and overlooked sources, such as the personal diaries of Southern travelers, papers and letters from civil engineers, corporate records, and contemporary newspaper accounts, Marrs skillfully expands on the conventional business histories that have characterized scholarship in this field. He situates railroads in the fullness of antebellum life, examining how slavery, technology, labor, social convention, and the environment shaped their evolution. Far from seeing the Old South as backward and premodern, Marrs finds evidence of urban life, industry, and entrepreneurship throughout the region. But these signs of progress existed alongside efforts to preserve traditional ways of life. Railroads exemplified Southerners' pursuit of progress on their own terms: developing modern transportation while retaining a conservative social order. Railroads in the Old South demonstrates that a simple approach to the Old South fails to do justice to its complexity and contradictions.
The time is right to bring the South into the story of the economic transformation of antebellum America. Aaron Marrs does this with force and grace in Railroads in the Old South. -- John L. Larson, Purdue University I am hard pressed to think of another volume that better catches the overall effect railroads had on the Old South. -- Kenneth W. Noe, Auburn University
About the Author
Aaron W. Marrs received his Ph.D. in history from the University of South Carolina and was associate managing editor of South Carolina Encyclopedia. He now serves in the Office of the Historian, United States Department of State.
Reviews
Interesting regional history... It is a thoughtful and instructive study that examines not only the pervasiveness of transportation but also some of the social, political, and economic consequences associated with the evolution of southern railroads. Choice 2009 This well-researched and readable volume is the best single study of railroads in the South before the Civil War. It should be of interest to historians as well as the general public. -- James W. Ely, Jr. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 2009 Marrs has given Civil War scholars some critical issues to consider when they evaluate the conflict's impact on railroads and the railroad's impact on the conflict. -- Robert C. Kenzer Civil War Book Review 2009 Marrs's conclusions concerning slave labor deserve a wide reading and general approbation. -- James L. Huston American Historical Review 2010 A useful, important, and timely book for southern and business history... Marrs has produced the most detailed account of the South's experience with railroads and has uncovered more aspects of this transformation than any previous scholar. -- William G. Thomas Journal of American History 2010 Railroads in the Old South is a solid contribution to our understanding of the birth of American railroading. There is much that is fresh and fascinating in each chapter... This book should be of interest to every serious student of railroad history, and even casual readers will find the text accessible and informative. -- Theodore Kornweibel Railroad History 2010 Artfully written and rewarding... This book is a winning accomplishment that deserves a wide audience. -- Eric J. Morser Business History Review 2010 Readers will find Railroads in the Old South an informative and lively social history. -- Mark Aldrich Technology and Culture An important study of antebellum railroads in the American South. -- H. Roger Grant South Carolina Historical Magazine Marrs's broad perspective and eye for detail have produced an outstanding overview of not just the Southern but the American experience with railroads during the antebellum era. Anyone interested in the history of railroads, technology, or the South will find this volume worthwhile. -- Robert G. Angevine Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 2009 Thoroughly researched and well written. -- Richard Jensen Florida Historical Quarterly 2010 Informative and well-organized. -- Dr. Owen Brown and Dr. Gale E. Gibson Neworld Review 2011
Book Information
ISBN 9780801891304
Author Aaron W. Marrs
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Johns Hopkins University Press
Publisher Johns Hopkins University Press
Weight(grams) 544g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 156mm * 24mm
The time is right to bring the South into the story of the economic transformation of antebellum America. Aaron Marrs does this with force and grace in Railroads in the Old South. -- John L. Larson, Purdue University I am hard pressed to think of another volume that better catches the overall effect railroads had on the Old South. -- Kenneth W. Noe, Auburn University
About the Author
Aaron W. Marrs received his Ph.D. in history from the University of South Carolina and was associate managing editor of South Carolina Encyclopedia. He now serves in the Office of the Historian, United States Department of State.
Reviews
Interesting regional history... It is a thoughtful and instructive study that examines not only the pervasiveness of transportation but also some of the social, political, and economic consequences associated with the evolution of southern railroads. Choice 2009 This well-researched and readable volume is the best single study of railroads in the South before the Civil War. It should be of interest to historians as well as the general public. -- James W. Ely, Jr. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 2009 Marrs has given Civil War scholars some critical issues to consider when they evaluate the conflict's impact on railroads and the railroad's impact on the conflict. -- Robert C. Kenzer Civil War Book Review 2009 Marrs's conclusions concerning slave labor deserve a wide reading and general approbation. -- James L. Huston American Historical Review 2010 A useful, important, and timely book for southern and business history... Marrs has produced the most detailed account of the South's experience with railroads and has uncovered more aspects of this transformation than any previous scholar. -- William G. Thomas Journal of American History 2010 Railroads in the Old South is a solid contribution to our understanding of the birth of American railroading. There is much that is fresh and fascinating in each chapter... This book should be of interest to every serious student of railroad history, and even casual readers will find the text accessible and informative. -- Theodore Kornweibel Railroad History 2010 Artfully written and rewarding... This book is a winning accomplishment that deserves a wide audience. -- Eric J. Morser Business History Review 2010 Readers will find Railroads in the Old South an informative and lively social history. -- Mark Aldrich Technology and Culture An important study of antebellum railroads in the American South. -- H. Roger Grant South Carolina Historical Magazine Marrs's broad perspective and eye for detail have produced an outstanding overview of not just the Southern but the American experience with railroads during the antebellum era. Anyone interested in the history of railroads, technology, or the South will find this volume worthwhile. -- Robert G. Angevine Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 2009 Thoroughly researched and well written. -- Richard Jensen Florida Historical Quarterly 2010 Informative and well-organized. -- Dr. Owen Brown and Dr. Gale E. Gibson Neworld Review 2011
Book Information
ISBN 9780801891304
Author Aaron W. Marrs
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Johns Hopkins University Press
Publisher Johns Hopkins University Press
Weight(grams) 544g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 156mm * 24mm
