Hopeful Historian

When examining the economic growth in the postbellum American economy, one discovers a plethora of interesting data sets to compare. For this post, the focus falls upon exploring the differences found in the developing railroad systems in the North and South from the 1870s to the 1890s. During these years, America attempts to place the aftermath of the Civil War in its past, while also finding itself enveloped in a new, rapidly developing world. In his book, American Railroads, John Stover explains in detail what went right and wrong with expanding the railroad system after the Civil War. He reports the lines stretched from 35,000 miles in 1865 to 53,000 miles in 1870; 93,000 miles in 1880; 164,000 miles in 1890. [1] Stover’s book explains the North-South divergence on rail expansion, the rampant corruption and confusion, and how the railroads made America a dominant force in the global economy. Even though the Civil War impacted the entire nation, the North and South proceed wit...

Born on December 11, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, Brenda Mae Tarpley is better known to the world as Brenda Lee. While Brenda stands under five feet tall, one should not be fooled by her height. Her voice and personality are huge. Her loud and powerful signing voice earned her the name "Little Dynamite" when she was just a little girl looking for places where she could sing. Many people know her from her hits like, "I'm Sorry" and "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree," but we know her as Cousin Brenda.  My mother, Kathy (Maxwell) Collins is the daughter of Cecil and Mathie Lee (Reed) Maxwell. Sadly, Mathie died from cancer when my mother was only four years old. Years later Cecil married Mamie Shacklett. Mamie was also a widow with two children of her own. Cecil and Kathy moved to be with Mamie and her two children. Together Cecil and Mamie raised their three children in the Woodbine area of Nashville.  Mamie's family was well-known in Nashville. Her b...