Transcontinental Railroad (2003, 2006)

Transcontinental Railroad is a documentary film that was shown on US television (PBS) in 2003 and released on DVD in 2006. It is an episode of the long-running program American Experience (season 15, episode 7). Here is some basic information about it:

** Directed by Mark Zwonitzer and Michael Chin

** Written and produced by Mark Zwonitzer

** Narrated by Michael Murphy

** Run time: 106 minutes

Several experts - mostly historians - were interviewed for the film. Here are the names in the order of appearance:

** Phil Roberts
** Fred Gamst
** Wendell Huffman

** Donald Fixico
** David Bain
** Carol Bowers

** Stanley Hirshson
** Sue Fawn Chung

** Frank Chin

Since 1988, American Experience has produced many episodes about many different topics. Most of them are well done. They have a high standard. Therefore I had high expectations before watching this film. Fortunately, my expectations were met in full. The first transcontinental railroad was built 1863-1869, and this film covers all major aspects of the project: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Another way to put it is to say that it covers the social, economic, political and military angle of the project. We hear about the people who were involved in the project. We also hear about the practical and technical problems that had to be solved in order to complete this project. As far as I can see, this film is an ABC product: it is accurate, balanced and comprehensive.

The website of American Experience has a special section devoted to this film where you can find more information, for instance:

** Biographies of persons who played an important role in the project, including Oakes Ames, Jack Casement, Charles Crocker, Grenville Dodge, and Thomas Clark Durant.

** Articles about significant topics, including Native Americans and the railroad, Chinese workers and the railroad, tunnelling through the mountains of Sierra Nevada, and how to use nitro-glycerine.

Here is a link to the website: PBS - American Experience

The first transcontinental railroad was a blessing and a curse. A blessing for some and a curse for others. It was a blessing for the owners of the railroad companies, because they made a lot of money on this project. It was a curse to the Native Americans, who used to live on the plains where the railroad was being built, because the railroad destroyed their way of life. There were benefits as well as costs. Both aspects are covered in the film.

Transcontinental Railroad got some good reviews: on IMDb it has a rating of 72 per cent. On the US version of Amazon there are ten reviews of this film. Six offer 5 stars, while three offer 4 stars (the last reviewer offers 3 stars, even though he says he had not seen the film when he submitted the review). I understand the positive reviews and I agree with them.

If you are interested in the history of the modern world, including the development of modern technology, this film is definitely something for you. The building of the first transcontinental railroad is an important chapter in the history of the United States, and in this film it is told very well. It is highly recommended. Five stars!

PS # 1. For more details, see the following books:

** Grenville M. Dodge: Soldier, Politician, Railroad Pioneer by Stanley Hirshson (1967) (the author appears as an expert in the film)

** Empire Express: Building the First Transcontinental Railroad by David Bain (1999) (the author appears as an expert in the film)

** Rival Rails: The Race to Build America’s Greatest Transcontinental Railroad by Walter R. Borneman (2010)

** Iron Rail, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad by Martin W. Sandler (2015)

PS # 2. A somewhat similar story is the laying of the transatlantic cable linking Europe and America (1854-1866). American Experience covered this project in an episode that was broadcast in 2005.

PS # 3. The famous US historian Stephen E. Ambrose (1936-2002) is the author of a book about the first transcontinental railroad: Nothing Like It in the World. The hardcover version was published in 2000, two years before his death. A paperback version appeared in 2005, three years after his death. When the book was published, it was at first a bestseller, but when professional historians and railway experts took a closer look at it, they found alarming mistakes and flaws throughout the book. For details, see the following articles, which are available online:

** Roger Rosenblatt, “When the Hero Takes a Fall,” TIME magazine, 13 January 2002

** Edson Strobridge, “Stephen Ambrose: Off the Rails,” History News Network, 8 July 2002

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This painting shows the famous moment on 10 May 1869, when the first transcontinental railroad was completed. One train is coming from the east, while another train is coming from the west.
 

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