Roads, for longer than people could remember, were nothing more
than dirt tracks that turned to mud in the winter and baked rock
hard in the summer. By law, every parish had to look after the
'roads' that ran through their area. Men were required to work for
6 days every year to maintain and repair the roads. Very few
villagers travelled, therefore they were not particularly
interested in doing this task especially as it seemed to offer them
no benefits.
Slide 3
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From 1760 1774, Parliament passed over 500 laws related to
building more and better roads. Thomas Telford improved roads with
an inch thick layer of small stones laid on a foundation of heavy
stones bound together. Telfords road was stronger and harder than
dirt roads.
Slide 6
Scottish engineer John Macadam developed a less expensive
method using small pieces of hard stones to form layers that
condensed and became even stronger after exposure to traffic.
Later, a final layer of asphalt or tar made Macadams road stronger
and smoother.
Slide 7
Strong, hard roads invented by Thomas Telford and John McAdam
Improvement over dirt and gravel roads Macadamized roads have a
smooth, hard surface that supports heavy loads without requiring a
thick roadbed Modern roads are macadamized roads, with tar added to
limit the creation of dust
Slide 8
Slide 9
In 1663, Parliament passed what was known as the Turnpike Act.
This was originally only used in three counties to see if it
worked. Charged people for using roads in certain counties The
money raised was spent on properly maintaining these roads. The
success of this scheme meant that the 1663 Act was the first of
hundreds throughout the country.
Slide 10
Slide 11
Private companies called Turnpike Trusts were established in
1706. The money raised by charging people to use the roads was
split between profits for the share holders and the cost of
maintaining the roads in the control of the trust. Toll gates were
established through which people and carriages had to pass before
continuing with their journey.
Slide 12
Slide 13
Many people objected to paying a toll. Some would even jump
over the toll gate to avoid paying. In some parts of the country,
the toll gates were so unpopular, that they were destroyed.
Parliament passed a law that meant anyone who was caught destroying
a turnpike could be executed. By 1830, 25, 000 miles of highways
ran through England connecting the industrial areas.
Slide 14
The Rebecca riots took place in the rural parts of west Wales,
including Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire, and Carmarthenshire, in
1839-43. They were a series of protests made by tenant farmers
against the payment of tolls (fees) charged to use the roads.
Turnpike Trusts or groups of businessmen owned most of the main
roads. These men fixed the charges and decided how many tollgates
(turnpikes) could be built. During the riots, men disguised as
women attacked the tollgates. They called themselves Rebecca and
her daughters. This is most likely to be after a passage in the
Bible where Rebecca talks of the need to possess the gates of those
who hate them (Genesis XXIV, verse 60). People at that time knew
the Bible well. Tolls were a big expense for small farmers, who
used the roads to take their crops and animals to market, and also
to collect lime (a chalky mineral). Lime was used to improve the
quality of the soil so farmers could grow better crops. It could
cost as much as five shillings (25p) in tolls to move a cart of
lime eight miles inland. The people of west Wales did not want to
pay to use their roads.
Slide 15
The first incident occurred in Pembrokeshire in May 1839 when a
new tollgate at Efailwen was destroyed. This gate was an obvious
target, situated on the road used by those carrying lime back from
the coast. The Whitland Turnpike Trust rebuilt the gate,only for it
to be destroyed again in June. A second new tollgate was attacked
at Llanboidy. Trouble died down when it was agreed by the
authorities that the gates would be not be rebuilt.
Slide 16
The disturbances started again in 1842 when the Whitland Trust
built a new gate at The Mermaid, on the lime road at St Clears in
Carmarthenshire. This was destroyed in November, as were the
tollgates at Pwll-trap and Trevaughan. The gates were rebuilt, but
all gates in St Clears were destroyed by 12 December. The
government refused to send soldiers and so the magistrates called
in the marines from Pembroke Dock and the Castlemartin Yeomanry
Cavalry. The rioting continued.
Slide 17
The main trigger for the Rebecca riots came from farmers having
to pay high tolls to use the roads, but there were other reasons
for their discontent. Wales had seen a population increase since
the start of the 19th century. This increased competition for land
and jobs, and added to unemployment and poverty.
Slide 18
Slide 19
Slide 20
Coach development could only benefit from the improvement in
roads. Before turnpike trusts, coaches had been un- sprung and any
journey in them was very uncomfortable as there was no suspension.
It was basically a wooden carriage, aided by four wooden wheels,
was used to move people or produce.
Slide 21
Slide 22
By 1800, coaches were suspended on a C-spring. This was a large
C-shaped piece of metal from which hung a carriage. This was a form
of suspension. By the 1830's these springs had been improved with
the elliptic spring. These were shaped like a rugby ball and each
wheel had one. The coach itself was effectively laying on these
springs which went up and down as the ride required. They greatly
improved the quality of a journey.
Slide 23
Slide 24
Canals were man-made rivers which were deep enough to cope with
barges which were capable of moving nearly forty tons of weight.
Canals had to be perfectly flat or else the water would simply run
away. The canals also had to be waterproofed Before the Industrial
Revolution, existing canals tended to be so crowded by trading
ships that extreme time delays were involved.
Slide 25
Slide 26
James Brindley built a canal in 1761 that connected the city of
Manchester to coal mines 9 miles away. The success of Brindleys
canal ushered in an era of canal building. Between 1790 and 1794,
the British Parliament passed 89 laws concerning the building of
new canals. By 1830, 3,000 miles of canals connected different
areas of Great Britain.
Slide 27
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Slide 30
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Slide 32
Slide 33
Slide 34
Early water power involved mills built over fast- moving
streams and rivers Early water power had problems Not enough rivers
to provide the power needed to meet growing demand Rivers and
streams might be far removed from raw materials, workers, and
markets Rivers are prone to flooding and drying
Slide 35
Humans tried harnessing steam power for millennia Hero of
Alexandria, Egypt created a steam-driven device in the 1 st century
B.C.E. Thomas Newcomen, England (1704) Created a steam engine to
pump water from mines James Watt, Scotland (1769) Improved
Newcomens engine to power machinery
Slide 36
By 1800, steam engines were replacing water wheels as sources
of power for factories Factories relocated near raw materials,
workers, and ports Cities grew around the factories built near
central Englands coal and iron mines Manchester, Liverpool
Slide 37
Between 1820 and 1850 some six thousand miles of railways were
opened in Britain This was the result of two extraordinary bursts
of concentrated investment followed by construction By 1850 the
basic English railway network was already more or less in existence
It reached into some of the remotest areas of the countryside and
the centers of the greatest cities Speed of movement went from
single miles an hour to hundreds of mile an hour Introduced the
notion of a nation-wide, complex and exact interlocking routine
symbolized by the railway timetable
Slide 38
Slide 39
1830 Stephensons Rocket train traveled the 40 miles between
Liverpool and Manchester in 1 hours 1830-1870 railroad tracks went
from 49 miles to over 15,000 miles Steel rails replaced iron rails
1869 Westinghouses air brake made train travel safer Greater train
traveling comfort heavier train cars, improved road beds, and
sleeping cars
Slide 40
The First Locomotives!! The first self-propelling steam engine
or steam locomotive made its outing on 13 February 1804 at the
Pen-y-Darren ironworks The machine was designed by Richard
Trevithick The engine was able to pull a load of 15 tons at a speed
of about 5 mph. However, adhesion was a problem (iron wheels on
iron rails = slipping). In 1811 Blekinstop designed an engine for
the Middleton Colliery, using cogged wheels engaging in racks on
the railway.
Slide 41
Slide 42
The problem of adhesion was finally solved by William Hedley
with a design which applied power to the rails through two sets of
Driving wheels. The locomotive was called Puffing Billy The first
public railway was the Stockton and Darlington Railway, whose first
run took place on Tuesday, September 27, 1825 The directors of the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway invited designers to submit their
locomotives to a test for a 500 pounds prize The Rocket and two
other machines competed -- Sanspareil and Novelty. The Rocket won
for its all round competence.
Slide 43
Slide 44
One of the most marked characteristics in the working of the
Rocket was the swaying jerky action of the engine, attributable to
the mounting of the cylinders high up on the side of the smokebox
Later engines of the 'Rocket' type had the cylinders mounted more
nearly horizontal, but still outside the frames On the Planet
Stephenson cylinders were enclosed within the smokebox. The engine
also incorporated the first use of 'sandwich' frames, which were
formed of ash or oak, strengthened by iron plates inside and out.
These gave flexibility and a great strength, and were a distinctive
feature
Slide 45
Slide 46
Edward Bury was a man strongly endowed with the commercial
instinct. Bury was the Locomotive Superintendent of the London and
Birmingham Railway and contractor for the supply of locomotives at
one. His engines were light, ingeniously constructed, and very
cheap; and he saw to it that they were not overworked.
Slide 47
Slide 48
The distinguishing feature of Burys engines was the use of bar
frames, which gave them a light, spidery appearance. They had
circular fireboxes, with a steam dome and safety valve on the top.
If one engine were not enough to do the job he put on two, three,
and sometimes even four on one train! Like many engines of those
early days the Bury's rode badly, partly because of the very short
wheelbase, and the lightness of the tenders.
Slide 49
The Great Western Railway stood in isolation from the rest of
the country, through its adoption of the broad gauge, 7 ft., in
contrast to the standard gauge of 4 ft. 8 in. used on most other
railways in Great Britain. Brunell was the architect of the broad
gauge The North Star came to the Great Western almost by accident.
It was built by Robert Stephenson and Co. for service in America on
the New Orleans Railway. It was actually shipped, but through
business difficulties delivery was not taken, and it was returned
to England. On its arrival back it was adapted to run on the 7 ft.
gauge and sold to the Great Western.
Slide 50
Slide 51
In 1790 Jessop founded the Butterley Iron Works and began to
manufacture fish-bellied cast-iron rails which marked an important
advance in railway technology By the late 1790s Jessop was
recognised as one of Britain's leading engineers. He was involved
in the production of the Grand Junction Canal, the Surrey Iron
Railway, the Bristol Docks and the West India Docks on the Thames
in London Butterley Iron Works Grand Junction Canal
Slide 52
1813 : The "Puffing Billy" was built by William Hedley to pull
coal wagons at the Wylam Colliery in Northumberland. It was so
reliable that it was used for fifty years. 1814: Produced a
locomotive that had two vertical cylinders outside the boiler 1828:
He developed a steam povered machine that improved the system of
pumping water out of the mine while he was renting the South Moor
Colliery Wylam Dilly
Slide 53
1825: The Stockton to Darlington rail line was opened. Two
locomotives were used and they could pull 21 coal wagons 25 miles
at 8 miles per hour. This was unheard of at the time and soon the
line was in profit. Passengers were soon carried but steam trains
did not operate on the line for passengers until 1833. In many
senses, 1825 is seen as the start of the Age of the Railways
Slide 54
Slide 55
George Bidder became the first person to design and build a
railway swing bridge. Matthew Murray helped John Blenkinsop build
the Salamanca locomotive, with its cog-toothed driving wheels,
first appeared in public on June 24, 1812. In 1829 Isambard Kingdom
Brunel designed a suspension bridge to cross the River Avon at
Clifton.
Slide 56
In 1828 the boiler of the Locomotion exploded, killing the
driver. She was rebuilt but did not perform well. The main problem
was its inability to produce enough steam for a twenty-mile run. In
1833 Hackworth decided to leave to form his own Soho locomotive
building company at Shildon The Grand Junction Railway, opened on
July 20, 1837. It was over 82 miles long and linked Birmingham with
the Liverpool & Manchester line Samson built by Timothy
Hackworth at Sheldon in 1838 In 1838 George and John Rennie
established a company in London and during the next four years
built 16 locomotives.
Slide 57
In 1813, George Stephenson became aware that William Hedley and
Timothy Hackworth were designing a locomotive for the Wylam coal
mine. So at the age of twenty, George Stephenson began the
construction of his first locomotive. It should be noted that at
this time in history, every part of the engine had to be made by
hand, and hammered into shape just like a horseshoe. John
Thorswall, a coal mine blacksmith, was George Stephenson's main
assistant. After 10 months' labor, Stephenson's locomotive
"Blucher" was completed and tested on the Cillingwood Railway on
July 25, 1814.
Slide 58
The track was an uphill trek of 450 fifty feet. George
Stephenson's engine hauled eight loaded coal wagons weighing 30
tons, at about four miles an hour. This was the first steam engine
powered locomotive to run on a railroad and it was the most
successful working steam engine that had ever been constructed up
to this period, this encouraged the inventor to make further
experiments.
Slide 59
In 1824 Edward Pease joined with Michael Longdridge, George
& Robert Stephenson to form a company to make the locomotives,
The Robert Stephenson & Company Stephenson recruited Timothy
Hackworth, one of the engineers who had helped William Hedley to
produce Puffing Billy, to work for the company. The first railway
locomotive was finished in September 1825. Initially called Active,
it was later given the name Locomotion. The boiler of the
Locomotion had a single fire tube and two vertical cylinders let
into the barrel and the four wheels were coupled by rods rather
than a chain.
Slide 60
Large crowds saw George Stephenson at the controls of the
Locomotion as it pulled 36 wagons filled with sacks of coal &
flour. The initial journey of just under 9 miles took two hours but
during the final descent into the Stockton terminus, speeds of 15
mph were reached. These increased speed surprised one man and he
fell from one of the wagons and was badly injured.
Slide 61
BRITISHAMERICAN Guards van Carriage Bogie Goods wagon Engine
driver Point Sleeper Baltic locomotive Caboose Coach Truck Freight
car Engineer Switch Railroad tie Hudson locomotive
Slide 62
Slide 63
Navvies were the men who actually built railways They lived by
the rail line that they were building in so-called shanty towns.
Huts could accommodate 20 men and they paid one and a half pennies
for a bed for the night. Those who slept on the floor paid a lot
less.
Slide 64
Slide 65
Those working in tunnels that were being built were especially
vulnerable to collapses and explosions All work was done in a hurry
and safety procedures were minimal. Getting the job done was far
more important than employee safety especially as there were plenty
of navvies British navvies had a good reputation. Many went on to
work in Europe where their hard work was rewarded - British navvies
frequently got paid twice as much as anybody else working on the
rail lines simply because they worked twice as hard as anybody
else.
Slide 66
Slide 67
By the standards of the time, navvies were well paid. They
could earn 25 pence a day which compared well to those who worked
in factories. The drinking of the navvies was well known and many
towns feared the arrival of the navvies to their region. Navvies
worked hard and they drank hard. Many navvies chose to live for the
day Death while working was high
Slide 68
Railways allowed for greater urban sprawl Possibility of
commuting opened up cities and suburbs (which spread along railway
lines) London 1863 New York (1869) Boston (1897) Paris (1900)
Berlin (1902) New York (underground 1904) Building the London
Underground www.pbs.org/.../structure/londonunderground1_tunnel
Paris Metro and Urban Sprawl
Lodging-france.com/paris-info/paris-mapmetro
Slide 69
The Impact of the Railroad
Slide 70
The Great Land Serpent
Slide 71
Social & Economic Impact of the Railways People became more
interested in politics & this led to the growth of political
parties People were able to travel greater distances for leisure
& to work Seaside towns developed; the railways made cheap day
trips possible Newspapers could be sent from London all over the
country. Railway engineering towns grew up, E.g. Crewe &
Doncaster. Fish & Chips Turnpike Trusts, canals & stage
coach companies could not compete & went bankrupt. Industry
grew, because the railways needed coal & iron; railways in turn
allowed factories to transport their goods to markets. Townspeople
were able to receive meat, fish, milk and vegetables brought in
whilst they were still fresh by the railways. First Class Mail The
Post was speeded up
Slide 72
Created new jobs in: tourism, resorts, hotels, and dealing with
the railways. Spread consumer products. Decline in transportation
costs. Increased long distance trade. In 1830, there were 70 miles
of railways in Britain. In 1840, there were 4, 500 miles. In 1870,
there were 15,000 miles
Slide 73
George Hudson, the Railway King, controlled 30% of the railways
in Britain. Faster and cheaper transportation meant that materials
could be imported and exported more quickly and in greater amounts.
Faster trade meant faster profits, which in turn meant more money
available to reinvest in railways or other ventures. Fueled the
other developments of the Industrial Revolution in iron, steel,
coal, and other manufactured goods.
Slide 74
How many horses would be needed to transport 40 tons by road?
Railways cut the cost of transportin g goods
Slide 75
Railways make the moving of goods cheaper. Goods can now be
sold for less. More people can afford to buy these goods More goods
are sold & so more need to be produced. Businessmen employ more
workers. More people with jobs means This is called the Cycle of
Prosperity
Slide 76
Increased leisure time. Led to the development of shore towns
for vacations. Breakdown of regional barriers. Increased cultural
exchange. Less isolation. Growth of suburbs Fostering nationalism.
Start of commuters to work. Shift in residential patterns. Slum
clearance.
Slide 77
What is this woman doing? Which famous books did Charles
Dickens write?
Slide 78
Impact on the landscape?
Slide 79
Slide 80
GMT?
Slide 81
Growth of middle class Increased military mobility
Slide 82
All railway lines had their characteristics and idiosyncrasies
The Great Western, even up to nationalization, was always rather
superior in its attitude The Great Eastern excelled in its
dining-car arrangements The London & South Western called
itself the Royal Road the London & North Western considered it
was the Premier Line, an opinion not shared by all its customers,
but it was good on punctuality
Slide 83
The South Eastern had a reputation for never running anything
on time And had trains of so many different shapes and sizes of
rolling stock that they looked rather like the battlements of a
castle. The tough Highland Railway had to be tough in view of the
weather conditions it sometimes faced. But their late running was
always the fault of the connections with the lines from the south
There was a well known occasion, August 7th, 1888, when the
Inverness train left Perth with 37 carriages belonging to ten
different companies The North Eastern branch lines were known for
the paucity of their passenger trains
Slide 84
The social pattern for moving around in bulk in the nineteenth
century was altered by railways probably more than by anything else
The few coppers required for a five-mile journey was a lot to the
poorer class who only earned ten shillings a week Country people
tended to stay where they were and if they had to go anywhere at
all they would walk there and back The working classes do not
appear to have been photographed very much on trains, except for a
few well-known and frequently published pictures
Slide 85
First Class Second Class Third Class
Slide 86
The first-class carriages of the Liverpool & Manchester
Railway was like travelling inside of a stage coach. They were not
very comfortable because the early carriages did not have buffers
or springs. One major advantage of first-class carriages was that
they had provision for carrying luggage on the roofs. Over the
years the quality of first-class travel on the Liverpool &
Manchester Railway dramatically improved.
Slide 87
Nathaniel Worsdell was commissioned to design and make an
improved carriage. His carriages had three enclosed compartments,
each accommodating three passengers abreast. These carriages had
armrests, upholstery and elegant decorations. The wooden bodies
were mounted on 4-wheel iron frames. They were painted yellow and
black in the same style as stage coaches.
Slide 88
A. J. C. Bourne produced this lithograph of first-class travel
in 1839
Slide 89
The amenities for second-class passengers lay midway between
those of the 'firsts' and the 'thirds'. The carriages were open at
the sides, but had a canopy over the top to keep out some of the
weather. The 'seconds' were much more cramped, and although having
cushioned seats were straight- backed, and gave little room for the
knees.
Slide 90
The second-class carriages of the Liverpool & Manchester
Railway had wooden benches and were open at the sides. Seated four
abreast, these passengers had no protection from the weather or the
pollution created by the locomotive. Second-class carriages were
painted a uniform blue.
Slide 91
A. J. C. BourneA. J. C. Bourne produced this lithograph of
second-class travel in 1839
Slide 92
In the earliest days of railways there was little encouragement
for third-class passengers to travel Accommodation was provided in
open trucks One had to brave the smoke and exhaust fumes from the
locomotives As the travelling habit began to grow the cry arose for
better third-class carriages
Slide 93
1844 Railway Act The 1844 Railway Act improved the quality of
third-class travel. The act stipulated that all third-class
passengers should be carried in covered accommodation. Railway
companies also began providing lighting in third-class carriages.
Whereas, there were several oil lamps in the first class carriages,
third-class carriages only had one.
Slide 94
Francis Coghlan wrote a report on third-class carriages for the
London & Birmingham Railway in 1838. I advise passengers to get
as far from the engine as possible as the vibration is very much
diminished. Always sit (if you can get a seat) with your back
towards the engine, against the boarded part of the wagon; by this
plan you will avoid being chilled by the current of cold air which
passes through these open wagons and also save you from being
blinded by the small cinders which escape from the funnel.
Slide 95
Louis Hayes, Reminiscences of Manchester (1840) In these
third-class carriages there was a general feeling of bare boards
and cheerlessness as you entered them and if you were travelling in
the winter time they gave you a kind of cold shiver. The seats were
cushionless and the longer you sat on them the harder they seemed.
Samuel Laing wrote a report on third-class railway travel in 1842.
The sides and ends of the carriages are only two feet high. A
moderate shock is enough to throw the passengers out of the
carriage.
Slide 96
A. J. C. BourneA. J. C. Bourne produced this lithograph of
third-class travel in 1839
Slide 97
Shareholders and engineers like George Hudson, George
Stephenson, and Thomas Grey encouraged businessmen to begin new
lines. Assoc. of the Institution of British Architects, George
Godwin, encouraged the Victorian people to embrace positive changes
and new rail lines. Godwin stated rails reduced cost of
transporting goods, saved time traveling, enhance the military
force, and new luxuries would be available to middle classes. Those
who opposed rails said these changes would desecrate countryside,
but Godwin said building development would architectually embellish
the country.
Slide 98
He won a contest for engineers where he designed the best over
all locomotive for a new line of rails. A train ride from London to
Shrewsbury was 12 hours 40 minutes (1835) opposed to 3.5 days by
coach (1753). He held many ambitious ideas that werent always
embraced, therefore he didnt express his ideas as much in fear of
being labeled insane.
Slide 99
Grey wanted locomotive rails to be a national project in
Britain and controlled by a national board, not capitalists. In
1823 he petitioned the Board of Agriculture and Select Committee of
the House of Commons. His visions werent taken seriously and no
action was taken to accomplish them. Had they been, railways may
have been more efficient earlier.
Slide 100
1865- Charles was in a train accident, and the written article
in Punch retold horrific accounts of railroad accidents providing
graphic descriptions and was the first to use the term vandalism in
connection with railways. Landowners also extremely disapproved
particularly among the wealthier classes. Worried railways would
contaminate the landscape that inspired artists and poets and had
nurtured the vision of a green and pleasant land as a national
ideal
Slide 101
Slide 102
Railways demolished city tenements without making provisions
for those they evicted Farmers were concerned about their crops and
produce A farmer in Northampton refused his assent to the proposed
London and Birmingham Railway on the ground that the smoke would
injure the fleeces of his sheep. Jacksons 1916 History of
Transportation in Britain
Slide 103
Slide 104
In 1868 Herbert Spencer published an essay on Railway Morals
and Railway Policy He examined what he called the politics of the
railways He revealed the discrepancy between public perception of
railway finance activity and the actual illegitimate and untenable
practices Court arguments were centered around the problems of
blackened sheep fleeces, ruined fox- runs, and dispossessed tenants
throughout the decade of the 1840s
Slide 105
Slide 106
Many of those who worked on canals, highways, or roadside inns
felt threatened by the new locomotives Railway speculation became a
big problem Railways offered means for investment of capital and
also offered adequate security and profit to ensure healthy growth
Fabulous wealth suddenly seemed within the reach of a lot of people
and success stories were numerous
Slide 107
Slide 108
In 1855 and 1862 two Limited Liability Acts were passed A
popular song of the time summed up the hysteria: Old me and young,
the famishd and the full, The rich and the poor, widow, and wife,
and maid, Master and certain all, with one intent, Rushed upon the
paper scrip; their eager eyes, Flashing a fierce unconquerable
greed - Their hot palms itching all their being filld With one
desire.
Slide 109
Members of Victorian literati were among those most vocally
against the railways Matthew Arnold Criticize the false God of
railroads and coal Wrote Culture and Anarchy Carlyle Wrote Hudsons
Statue Criticized the countrys obsession with wealth, accumulation,
and material values over moral and aesthetic concerns
Slide 110
Punch Satirical journal of the 19 th century Cartoonists were
quick to caricature the businessmen caught up in the railway mania
With regard to railway accidents it is the pace that kills. This is
particularly the case when companies go at it too fast in the
pursuit of profit. By the 1860s the Punch was waging war against
railway vandalism One article recommended that St. Pauls Cathedral
as a potential station saying What else will it be fit for when
every railway runs right into London?
Slide 111
WORDSWORTH Regarded nature as an animated force, as
inspiration, and as an integral part of his identity Believed in
the smaller scale of life that had been a part of the Romantic
ideal of English country life Nature should be appreciated for its
own sake and not as a resource to be exploited for a vastly
increasing and irreverent humanity. Is there no nook of English
ground secure from rash assault?
Slide 112
Wordsworth and the Kendal and Windemere Railways In 1844 The
K&W Railways threatened Wordsworths precious Lakes District
Wordsworth responded with a literary campaign by writing poems and
letters that were published in the Morning Post He tried gaining
the support of the public and specifically addressed the members of
the Board of Trade and the House of Commons In his first letter he
stated that there was not need for a rail in close proximity to the
Lakes District There were no manufacturers, quarries, or
substantial agriculture base to warrant the intrusion
Slide 113
Wordsworth and K&W Railways contd. Wordsworth explains that
the working class does not have the capacity to appreciate the
beauty and character of seclusion and retirement that the Lakes
District had to offer. Bringing many travelers into the district
would destroy the beauty that they had come to enjoy. His first
letter was not received well He was accused of interfering with the
innocent enjoyments of the poor He responded in his second letter
by saying that the influx of strangers the railway promised could
potentially estrange the local poor and wreak moral havoc upon the
Lake District
Slide 114
Wordsworth and K&W Railway contd. Wordsworth used the
example of a pass built near Lake of Grasmere He inserted a poem
that explored the beauty of the particular pass in the Alps
Wordsworth then explained how, 30 years later, he had gone to see
the pass and it was ruined by the intrusion of a road Wordsworth
used many literary references to sway those poetics and admirers of
literature to his side
Slide 115
Meanwhile, at social Industrys command, How quick, how vast an
increase. From the germ Of some poor hamlet, rapidly produced, Here
a huge town, continuous and compact, Hiding the face of earth for
leagues-and there, Where a habitation stood before, Abodes of men
irregularly massed Like trees in forests,-spread through spacious
tracts, Oer which the smoke of unremitting fires Hangs permanent,
and plentiful as wreaths Of vapour glittering in the mourning sun.
And, wheresoeer the traveler turns his steps, He see the barren
wilderness erased, Or disappearing;
Slide 116
Ruskin Particularly against the railways vandalism of personal
homes and national treasures A fool always wants to shorten space
and time, a wise man wants to lengthen both. On a trip to Venice,
Ruskin was horrified to find that the railway had arrived He
mourned the railways encroachment on the Rhine Worked with
Wordsworth to keep the Lakes District free of railway
contamination
Slide 117
The public strongly disliked Parliament approving a large
number of lines (1825-1844) and the merging of rails in 1845. Why
construction was opposed Locals accepted the new changes, but didnt
want these rails on their property Neighborhoods petitioned
Parliament to move rails within 12 miles
Slide 118
Fear of monopolies grew and people were against railway
vandalism (railways pushing through previously off-limit areas and
spawning on historic sites) Towns invited trains to revitalize
their towns, but many didnt want the companies building within the
city limits. Key trunk lines connecting industrial resources with
national markets were built despite opposition from local
residents.
Slide 119
Robert Fulton invented the steamboat in 1807 The Clermont
operated the first regular steamboat route, running between Albany
and New York City 1819 the Savannah used a steam engine as
auxiliary power for the first time when it sailed across the
Atlantic Ocean 1836 John Ericsson invented a screw propeller to
replace paddle wheels 1838 the Great Western first ship to sail
across the Atlantic on steam power alone, completing the trip in 15
days