Find a large collection of internet resources organized around slavery in America. Links to places to go, people to see, things to do, teacher resources, and bibliographies.

A brief history of the last century and more of American railroads, from the early locomotives from the mid 1800s to today's fast passenger trains.

In 1800, the United States was made up of 16 states, all east of the Appalachians, and most people lived within 50 miles of the Atlantic. Oceans and rivers were the nations' highways, providing the only viable way to travel long...

Here are some facts about the first railroad in America, which was constructed in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Primary source materials related to employment by the railroads in the 1800s. Content includes letters, an employee database, blacklists that were shared between companies, payrolls, images, and more.

People enslaved Africans for their enforced labor from before America's founding until the end of the Civil War. Learn about the history of slavery, its effects on a budding nation, and the fight to abolish it. This collection includes...

A compilation of primary source documents addressing building and running the railroad system in the late 19th century.

A primary source collection of artworks, photographs, and illustrations of the railroads in the 19th century that represent different perspectives.

Replica of the Salisbury, North Carolina railway station teaches about riding and working on the railroad in the 1920s when railroads were a central part of American life. Railroad lines crisscrossed the country. They carried people,...

Learn details of the fascinating history of the early American railroads in the 1800s including their invention, their expansion, significance, and their impact on the transportation system of America.

This PBS site provides a general history of the Underground Railroad, including a focus on notable participants or "conductors." Click on Teacher's Guide for teacher resources.

Primary source materials that focus on how the railroads facilitated travel and tourism in America in the mid-1800s. Includes railroad timetables, anecdotal accounts, traveler advice, charts, illustrations, and lots more.

Primary source materials that focus on the segregation of African Americans that took place on the railroads in the 1800s. Content includes newspaper articles, anecdotal accounts, letters, legal cases, etc.

A collection of original manuscripts, letters, photographs, rare books, and other materials on abolitionism from the 1700s through 1865.

Corruptions, malfeasance, bribery and fraud - all these terms can describe the construction process of the American railroad system. Search primary source documents to uncover the shenanigans that took place in the late 19th century....

Jump aboard to examine the importance of railroads during the Civil War. Delve into primary source documents that show how the newly developed rail system played a strategic role in many battles and also examine the role of slave labor...

Annenberg Learner's series on Industrial Supremacy in America includes this map showing the major rail lines east of the Mississippi River in about 1880.

Judah died on a trip to New York, contracting yellow fever on his voyage through Panama. A transcontinental railroad, had it existed, would have spared his life.

Objects can lead you to some interesting stories. Read and see where and how this toy-like locomotive was used. Cursor down to locate this information.

An overview of the construction of America's Transcontinental Railway, and its completion when the last spike was driven (after several misses) in Utah to connect the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railways. Travel across the...

Here is a brief article from PBS on the life and accomplishments of abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who risked her life on several occasions to ensure the freedom of others. Links to a teacher's guide and primary sources are provided.

Primary source materials that focus on how the railroad companies supported the slavery system through slave labor, slave ownership, and as a transportation system for the slave market in the South. Content includes contracts, company...

One-page profile of influential innovator, George Westinghouse, Jr., whose vision and ideas helped to increase the safety of the railroad system in America. His experimentation with electricity also had a huge impact on the power...

Read about the growth of railroads throughout the eastern part of the United States, which greatly reduced transportation costs. See why there was opposition to railroads from many groups. Be sure to look at the stereograph of the...