Center for Technology and Teacher Education - Social Studies Module: Death and Dying

The Impact of Railroads on Two Antebellum Communities

Materials Needed

Historical Background:

Improvements in transportation were significant factors behind America's First Industrial Revolution. By the late 1850s, rail lines had joined Augusta and Franklin Counties with east coast urban areas. The coming of the trains stimulated manufacturing and farming in these counties, but it also brought changes to the patterns of daily life. In this exercise, students will read about strawberries in May, a school rail outing, and a fatal train accident. Along with economic stimulation, the railroads also introduced an element of uncertainty to Franklin and Augusta Counties. Railroads that bypassed their communities or had schedules that favored other areas could wreak serious economic harm. To illustrate this point, this lesson will have students read a complaint about the Central Virginia Railroad's favoritism towards the eastern part of the state.

Center for Technology and Teacher Education, University of Virginia,

This module created by Alice Carter of the University of Virginia..