Nashville railroad facilities during the Civil War [Courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-B8171-2651]

TENNESSEE CIVIL WAR RAILROADS

INTRODUCTION

The American Civil War experienced the tremendous impact of drastic scientific and technological changes associated with the Industrial Revolution.  Particularly symbolic of the new technologies was the development of the steam-powered railroad, an innovative new mode of land transportation that allowed the rapid transfer of people and goods in massive quantities over long distances.

Tennessee's strategic location between the northern and southern states ensured that its railroad network, which emerged in the 1850s, would play a pivotal role in the military events of the Western Theater throughout the Civil War.  Although Tennessee's Civil War railroad history reflects the rapid technological changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution, it also involves many stories of human struggles arising from the difficult experiences of both military personnel and the civilian population of the state.  Within these Web pages we try to address both the technological and human impact of Tennessee railroads during the Civil War.
 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Antebellum Railroads of Tennessee
    Railroading Equipment & Practices of the Civil War Era
   Confederate Railroads of Tennessee
Federal Railroads of Tennessee
Railroad Junction Cities of Tennessee
Railroad-Associated Military Events of the Civil War
 Civilian Impact of Civil War Railroad Operations
Tennessee Railroads After the Civil War
 Preserving Tennessee's Civil War Railroad Heritage
Civil War Railroad Bibliography
Links to Other Railroad Heritage Sites

 

  Civil War Technology & Industry in Tennessee

Last update:  December 8, 2000