Feet, Hooves, and Rails: Transportation in Nineteenth Century America

J. Ward Regan

This lecture follows the development of transportation from the pre-industrial period to the introduction of the combustion engine in the early twentieth century. The Transportation Revolution, as it is sometimes called, encompassed a wide range of successes and failures, and goes well beyond the introduction of steam power. The talk begins with the era of canal building in New York and continues through to the rise of the railroad all the way to the automobile. The presentation encompasses an examination of the technological innovations and ideological shifts that changed transportation and transformed the United States into a world power. It will also address the central role played by New York City in this process. Saturday, October 10th is our Riverfront Trail Restoration Celebration and Symposium and November 7th is a lecture on The Arts and Crafts Movement in New York State. Don't miss out on the exciting free offerings we have planned this fall. We hope to see you at Clermont soon!