Running Time:
4 discs x thirty minutes each
Grade Level:
7 - Adult
Captions:
Closed Captions , Spanish Subtitles
AVP Release Date:
August 2010
Producer:
Centre Communications/Ambrose Video Publishing
This series offers a fresh perspective on how railroads created and shaped America's financial institutions, America's singular brand of capitalism and its unique way of doing business. The growth of American railroads from 1830 to 1930 is identical with the growth of the nation into the premier industrial power in the world. It is a colorful story that examines the roles and contributions of Johns Hopkins, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jay Gould and E.H. Harriman. It is a story that begins a new era in the 21st century with Warren Buffett and his purchase of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.
DVD Extras: Closed Captioning, Spanish Subtitles, Educator's Guide, Blackline Master Quizzes, Timeline, 31 Maps, & Gallery of Images
Four programs on 4 DVDs.
UPC 739815004681
- Program 1: Railroads Come to America (1830 - 1840)
- The Birth of the Steam Locomotive
- It All Begins: The Baltimore and Ohio
- The Steam Engine
Running Time: 30 minutes
In 1830, America was an agrarian nation slowly inching its way west across the continent, but that was about to change spectacularly with the introduction of the steam locomotive and railroads.
Chapters:
- Program 2: The First Great Railroad Boom (1841 - 1860)
- America's Brand of Capitalism Emerges from Railroad Fever
- Railroads Become Big Business
- America's First Wave of Rail Lines
Running Time: 30 minutes
By 1840 the railroad building boom was on and all of America was gripped by railroad fever and the expectation railroads offered to become a leading industrial power.
Chapters:
- Program 3: A New Era in American Railroading (1861 - 1870)
- President Lincoln's Railroad
- Railroads and the Civil War
- Depots, Pullman Cars and Airbrakes
- The Transcontinental Railroad
Running Time: 30 minutes
During the Civil War Railroads dramatically changed the way war was waged forever. But even more significantly for America, President Abraham Lincoln set the course for railroads to place the nation on the path to greatness as a world power.
Chapters:
- Program 4: The Second Great Railroad Boom (1871 - 2010)
- The Railroads Move West
- The Railroad Robber Barons
- The Federal Government Steps In
- Consolidation and the Diesel Engine
- America's Railroads Today
Running Time: 30 minutes
The Gilded Age, an era of great wealth and vast power, was driven by the railroad industry. It was also a period when the Federal government finally decided to step off the sidelines and help direct the nation's economy by controlling the railroads.
Chapters:
Clip Length: 3 minutes 56 seconds
Reviews:
"Hosted by actor Gregory Wagrowski, this four-volume series reminds viewers that the introduction of railroads signaled a revolutionary socioeconomic change. The historic spectrum covered here ranges from the first steam engines and lines built in the early 1800s, through the creation of the transcontinental railroad at the end of the 19th century, up to the current state of the industry (although no longer a large part of daily human transportation, trains still distribute goods nationwide, carrying 42 percent of the country's freight). Underlying this saga are the stories of the engineering marvels of the engines themselves and the building of the infrastructure required to traverse mountains, plains, rivers, and canyons. Railroads also spurred the development of new management structures, with cash-flow and accounting systems that delivered profits across a complex network. Economically, the capital investments required for the enterprise helped create the blueprint for cost-benefit analysis, while the legacy of property deals involving right-of-way along rail lines continue to be felt today (what started with telegraph and telephone companies running their wires along the tracks has now evolved into creating fiber optic networks). Combining informative narration, illustrative stills, archival footage, and helpful graphics, DVD extras include subtitles in Spanish, a teacher's guide, an image gallery, quizzes, timelines, and maps. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. "
Read More Reviews
Reviews:
"Hosted by actor Gregory Wagrowski, this four-volume series reminds viewers that the introduction of railroads signaled a revolutionary socioeconomic change. The historic spectrum covered here ranges from the first steam engines and lines built in the early 1800s, through the creation of the transcontinental railroad at the end of the 19th century, up to the current state of the industry (although no longer a large part of daily human transportation, trains still distribute goods nationwide, carrying 42 percent of the country's freight). Underlying this saga are the stories of the engineering marvels of the engines themselves and the building of the infrastructure required to traverse mountains, plains, rivers, and canyons. Railroads also spurred the development of new management structures, with cash-flow and accounting systems that delivered profits across a complex network. Economically, the capital investments required for the enterprise helped create the blueprint for cost-benefit analysis, while the legacy of property deals involving right-of-way along rail lines continue to be felt today (what started with telegraph and telephone companies running their wires along the tracks has now evolved into creating fiber optic networks). Combining informative narration, illustrative stills, archival footage, and helpful graphics, DVD extras include subtitles in Spanish, a teacher's guide, an image gallery, quizzes, timelines, and maps. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. "
"This series demonstrates the importance of the railroad industry to American history . Focusing primarily on the 19th century, the programs show how railroads shaped mechanical and civil engineering, impacted the outcome of the Civil War, and provided the structure for the development of the American Industrial Age and the growth of the American economy. The production utilizes period reenactments, historical stock footage, computer generated graphics, and interviews with historians to enrich a solid male narration. The video and sound qualities are good. This saga will be welcomed by the many fans of railroad history, and its short chapters make it useful in American history Classes."
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