Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
5-2004
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
History
Committee Chair
Mackey, Thomas C., 1956-
Author's Keywords
Social sciences
Subject
Railroads--Virginia--History--19th century; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Transportation; Virginia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Abstract
This thesis is an examination of the Virginia railroad system during the Civil War. Using extensive and primary secondary sources, the thesis argues that the Virginia General Assembly, the Confederate Government under Jefferson Davis, and the superintendents of Virginia's carriers inadequately utilized one of the state's, and subsequently, the Confederacy's, primary assets. This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter one focuses on the limited historiography of Civil War railroads. Chapter two examines the Confederacy's attempts to find a government-level railroad chief. The efforts by Virginia's railroad superintendents to keep their lines operating during a time of civil war are examined in chapter three. Chapter four is a case study of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the only Civil War railroad to operate in the Confederacy and the Union. Chapter five consists of conclusions.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Larry Edward 1956-, "Breakdown from within : Virginia railroads during the Civil War era." (2004). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 695.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/695
