The impact of the railroad on American society: a communication perspective of technology

Jonathan Matusitz

Description

Resumen
Este manuscrito examina el sistema ferroviario como una combinación de humanos y máqui-nas en relación simbiótica, y explica cómo el ferrocarril ejerció un importante efecto sobre la vida en América cuando hizo irrelevante el sistema de tiempo físico –natural—que existe en las ciudades y paí-ses en los que los relojes iban acordes a las condiciones climáticas. El autor apunta que el ferrocarril es un órgano social, capaz de evolucionar para servir a la demanda, modelando y alterando –pero nunca reemplazando—el contacto entre los humanos, y que continuará para mejorarlo y facilitarlo. Este ma-nuscrito analiza los impactos sociales, transculturales, psicológicos y financieros de la vía férrea en la sociedad norteamericana en los últimos doscientos años. La medida del progreso en los Estados Unidos es equivalente al conjunto de cosas que se han sacrificado.
Abstract
This manuscript examines the railroad system as a combination of humans and machines that form a symbiosis, and explains how the railroad exerted a huge effect on American life when it made irrelevant the organic – following nature – time system that existed in cities and countries where clocks were set according to weather conditions. The author makes the point that the railroad is an organ of society, that it will evolve to serve the functions we demand, that it has molded and altered – but never replaced – contact between humans, and that it will continue to enhance and facilitate it. This manuscript analyzes the social, cross-cultural, psychological, and financial impact of the railroad on American soci-ety in the past two hundred years. The measure of progress in the United States is tantamount to the mass of things that had to be sacrificed to it.

Sujets

• Comunicación
• Ferrocarril
• Sociedad
• Tecnología
• Tiempo
• Communication
• Rail transport
• Society
• Technology
• Time

Informations

• Publié par: erevistas
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 17
• Langue: Español

Extrait

Vol. 7 Nº3 págs. 451-460. 2009

www.pasosonline.org


The impact of the railroad on American society:
a communication perspective of technology


iJonathan Matusitz
University of Central Florida (EEUU)




Resumen: Este manuscrito examina el sistema ferroviario como una combinación de humanos y máqui-
nas en relación simbiótica, y explica cómo el ferrocarril ejerció un importante efecto sobre la vida en
América cuando hizo irrelevante el sistema de tiempo físico –natural—que existe en las ciudades y paí-
ses en los que los relojes iban acordes a las condiciones climáticas. El autor apunta que el ferrocarril es
un órgano social, capaz de evolucionar para servir a la demanda, modelando y alterando –pero nunca
reemplazando—el contacto entre los humanos, y que continuará para mejorarlo y facilitarlo. Este ma-
nuscrito analiza los impactos sociales, transculturales, psicológicos y financieros de la vía férrea en la
sociedad norteamericana en los últimos doscientos años. La medida del progreso en los Estados Unidos
es equivalente al conjunto de cosas que se han sacrificado.

Palbras clave: Comunicación; Ferrocarril; Sociedad; Tecnología; Tiempo.



Abstract: This manuscript examines the railroad system as a combination of humans and machines that
form a symbiosis, and explains how the railroad exerted a huge effect on American life when it made
irrelevant the organic – following nature – time system that existed in cities and countries where clocks
were set according to weather conditions. The author makes the point that the railroad is an organ of
society, that it will evolve to serve the functions we demand, that it has molded and altered – but never
replaced – contact between humans, and that it will continue to enhance and facilitate it. This manuscript
analyzes the social, cross-cultural, psychological, and financial impact of the railroad on American so-
ciety in the past two hundred years. The measure of progress in the United States is tantamount to the
mass of things that had to be sacrificed to it.


Keywords: Communication; Railroad; Society; Technology; Time.




i Assistant Professor in the Nicholson School of Communication at the University of Central Florida. His
research interests include communication & technology, and organizational and intercultural communicati-
on. Please address correspondence to Jonathan Matusitz at 600 Colonial Center Parkway, Lake Mary, FL,
32746, [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail].
© PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural. ISSN 1695-7121 452 The impact of the railroad on American society :…

Introduction and procedures, for practical ends or pur-
poses” (Monsma, 1986, p. 19), along with
Communication technology has had an transportation communication, aims to
enormous impact on society by altering the achieve goals thanks to which people can
nature of relationships among individuals feel the value of the socio-economic and
(Zillmannn & Vorderer, 2000) and it always financial structure through the improve-
gives rise to unpredicted social conse- ment of industrial productivity and living
quences (Sproull & Kiesler, 1991). As com- standards.
thmunication technology extends our vision In the beginning of the 19 century,
and our hearing, transportation technology however, humanity used little transporta-
extends our perception of moving. Indeed, tion because people barely traveled or
we can travel at a higher speed and longer moved no faster than they had in the pre-
distance. The relationships between trans- vious three thousand years: riding horses
portation and society, however, are far and sailing ships were still the principal
more complex, numerous, deep, and an- means of transportation. The application of
cient. This manuscript examines the rail- steam engine to transportation shook eve-
road system as a combination of humans rything up. Stephenson’s first steam train
and machines that together form a symbi- began to operate in the late 1820’s in Eng-
osis (Lewin, 1951), provides a brief histori- land (Matellart, 1974), but effective rail-
cal section on trains, and explains how the road operations in the United States did
railroad has exerted a huge effect on hu- not begin until around 1840. More impor-
man life when it made irrelevant the organ- tantly, during the Industrial Revolution,
ic – following nature – time system that the train was a central factor for the ex-
existed in cities and countries where clocks pansion of the United States to the West.
were set according to weather conditions. This is why it is interesting to trace the
Finally, to describe the complex relation- connection between transportation, com-
ships that form the communication net- munication technology, and society in the
work in the rail industry, this manuscript United States by looking at the early histo-
incorporates research on the social, cross- ry of the railroad.
cultural, psychological, and economic and
financial impact of the railroad on Ameri- Brief History of the Railroad
can society in the past two hundred years. According to many sources in modern
countries, transportation on rail tracks has
Review of the Literature deep historical roots. Railways have appar-
ently existed as far back as the sixth cen-
thLinked to technology, the word “com- tury B.C. In the 16 century, Europeans
munication” has had a pervasive use in the were making extensive use of rail tracks
realm of transportation, even before it with vehicles to carry coal and charcoal
[communication] became transformed into outside the mines. Humans had to wait
th“information movement” in this day and until the first two decades of 19 century
age. There is probably not a more appropri- (in Britain) to see the first mechanically
ate way to define the power of communica- worked railroad. Railroads were introduced
tion and technology by first studying the in the United States in 1829 (Chadler Jr.,
rise of the idea of transportation as com- 1981; Poor, 1970; Fogel, 1964). The intro-
munication (Polli, 1998). To a large degree, duction of the railroad system was a crucial
ththe history of transportation, the act of occurrence in the 19 century in American
moving something or someone from one history. The railroad system – improving
place to another (the term stems from the transportation, communication, and tech-
Latin trans, meaning across, and portare, nology to such a point that we can call it a
meaning carrying), has been driven by revolution – helped settle and expand
technology. Technology, “a distinct human America’s borders further to the west, in-
cultural activity in which human beings creased and improved economic develop-
exercise freedom and responsibility in re- ment and communication, as well as labor
sponse to God by forming and transforming and immigration, introduced new manage-
the natural creation, with the aid of tools ment policies, and advanced technology
PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, 7(3). 2009 ISSN 1695-7121

Jonathan Matusitz 453

(Chadler Jr., 1981). On the other side of the senger. The telegraph was accepted by all
Atlantic Ocean, 1829 was also the year the cities that had a railroad system be-
during which Stephenson’s “Rocket” was cause it was used to signal the arrivals and
riding for the first time in England, a na- departures of trains and to coordinate the
tion of which the rail network had already railroad lines efficiently. In 1869, the first
reached 430,000 kilometers (Matellart, transcontinental railroad, a railroad that
1974). crossed the entire country and that was
In the New World, however, locomotive mainly built with Chinese labor, was com-
technology only achieved a breakthrough in pleted. Without the Chinese laborers, there
the 1830s. The development of the locomo- would be no railroad. In turn, without the
tive, the “Iron Horse” (Comstock, 1971), railroad, there would have been no sea-to
from the steam engine provided the tech- sea USA. By the end of the 1880s, addi-
nology for the rail revolution (Weitzman, tional transcontinental railroads had been
1987), and industrialization provided the established. Trips that once took several
basic needs, capital and skills (Licht, 1995). weeks now took a couple of days. Railroads
The invention of the steam locomotive radi- tied the country together, brought the
cally remodeled the way products and Eastern and Western coasts of America’s
people traveled. Products could be moved at vast continent closer, and accelerated the
a cheaper rate and at a higher speed growth of the United States.
ththanks to trains and locomotives. Wagons By the beginning of the 20 century, es-
could also transport heavier loads than pecially during the period from 1900 to
ships and, not surprisingly, horses. Steam circa 1930, the railroad had outstandingly
locomotives crossing the plains of Uncle made headway in the U