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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 7 page book review that examines The Sunset Limited, a history of the Southern Pacific Railroad by Richard Orsi, in which the author indicates that his book will be different from his predecessors on this subject. Examination of Orsi's book, his scholarship and his argument, shows that his viewpoint is quite persuasive and offers fresh insight into how American westward expansion came about. No additional sources cited.
Page Count:
7 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khorsi.rtf
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predecessors on this subject. Orsi points out that historians generally characterize the Southern Pacific and its monopoly on Western rail transportation as a "diabolical" organization, which used its "dominance of
freight tariffs, land grants and political power" as tools with which it managed to "deprive farmers, workers, and shopkeepers of their just profits."1 Orsi used primary source material that demonstrates
that, "despite some contradictions and inconsistencies of policy and action," the Southern Pacific tended largely to identify "its corporate interests with the public welfare" and, furthermore, did a great deal
to promote "more organized, efficient settlement, economic development and more enlightened resource police in its service area."2 As this indicates, Orsis view of the Southern Pacific is virtually diametrically opposed
to the perspectives offered by previous historical scholarship on this business. Examination of his book, his scholarship and his argument, shows that Orsis viewpoint is quite persuasive and offer fresh
insight into how American westward expansion came about. While Orsi offers a more positive picture of Southern Pacific Railroad history, his text is by no means a whitewash of
this company and its policies. What Orsi is opposing is the previous interpretation that the Southern Pacific was a completely negative force in Western history. Often the railroad history has
been presented in dichotomous terms. On one side is the "selfish, greedy, corporate interests" and on the other, stand "the people."3 Orsis scholarship did not support this position. Rather it
showed that the reality of events and situations were much more "complex and shifting," as the railroad would find itself pitted against an opponents who, like them, was
intent on pursuing its own self-interest.4 In most of these situations, Orsi found that the majority of the public found that its interests matched those of the railroad, which
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