How Railways Transformed the World

Series: How Railways Transformed the World

(6)

Episodes

Rating

Year

2024

Language

English

Publisher

The Great Courses

About

Climb aboard for a thrilling ride through the amazing world of railways in this thoroughly delightful course. Learn how this one invention profoundly changed human life and reveal the great railway journeys that await you around the world.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1. The Idea of Railways

29m

Begin with an overview of the history and impact of railways, as a revolutionary technology that produced a superbly efficient means of transport. Grasp how railroads have been central to industrial societies, and have influenced politics, urbanization, social life, modern business, and more. Note the decline of trains in the later 20th century, followed by their astonishing comeback.

2. Britain's Railway Pioneers

31m

Learn about early steam tech, and the mounting of steam engines on vehicles, producing the first locomotives. Follow the rise of the first railways in Britain in the 1820s, and the brilliant engineers behind them. See how the proliferation of railways altered the landscape of Britain, accelerating urbanization, and observe the many ways that railways changed British life in the 19th century.

3. The First American Railroads

29m

Following the British model, railroads quickly took root in America. Chart the groundbreaking lines, such as the Baltimore & Ohio and Pennsylvania, and the challenges they faced in the great distances and rugged landscapes of the United States. Witness the developing railway technology in the United States, and the high accident rates in the 19th century owing to subpar equipment and standards.

4. Early European Ventures

28m

Trace the rapid spread of railroads in Europe from the 1830s, amid a politically volatile landscape. See how British engineers jump-started railways throughout Europe, starting with Belgium and Germany. Follow the creation of nationalized rail systems by Germany and France. Also take account of 19th-century engineering marvels on railways, such as extraordinary viaducts, bridges, and tunnels.

5. Railways Go to War

30m

Grasp the core roles of railways in military conflicts in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Observe how the building of a railway transformed the British campaign in the Crimean War, and how cooperation between railroads and Union forces in the US Civil War was a major force in the Union war effort. Note the critical influence of railways in the Franco-Prussian, Boer, and Russo-Japanese wars.

6. America's Transcontinental Railroads

30m

Visualize the vast engineering project that linked the two coasts of the United States by rail. Learn how two companies built the first completed line, followed by other transcontinental routes, driving settlement and agricultural output across the United States. Assess the financial realities and abuses of these railroads, and the serious economic and ecological problems they provoked.

7. Railways and Colonialism

29m

Observe how the building of railroads in India, by the British, strengthened British rule and commerce, yet also contributed to Indian nationalism and the movement for independence. Explore British, German, and French colonial railways within Africa and Vietnam, as they served the economic ends of empire. In Canada and Australia, see how railroad-building and nation-building were closely linked.

8. Mountain Railways

28m

Here, investigate the fascinating approaches railway engineers have taken to the problems of steep gradients and mountainous terrain, creating some of the most amazing and enjoyable railroads in the world. Delve into examples of circuitous lines, spirals, zigzags, and rack and pinion railways, and travel with Professor Allitt on a few of the breathtaking mountain railroads of Switzerland.

9. The Invention of Tourism

30m

Discover that the global tourism industry was largely an invention of railways. Encounter tourism pioneers Thomas Cook, Fred Harvey, and others who forged modern leisure travel principally using railroads. Witness the advent of US tourism, and the development of Florida, via railways. Then glimpse delightful and relaxing railway excursions in Switzerland, Norway, Spain, and Canada.

10. Railway Workers and Unions

28m

Railways were integrally involved in the rise of labor unions. Gauge the many dangers early railroad workers faced, and the oppressive working conditions that led them to organize in Britain and the United States. Take stock of the intense labor disputes with employers, the many strikes and violent confrontations, and the process by which workers gained recognition and better working conditions.

Extended Details

SeriesHow Railways Transformed the World

Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

The Great CoursesDirector

The Great CoursesProducer

Patrick N. AllittActor