Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects, Land Policy, and Settler Colonialism in American State Formation: The Erie Canal, the Transcontinental Railroads, and the Hoover Dam
Mara Loveman, Professor
Sociology
Applications for Spring 2024 are closed for this project.
Throughout the nineteenth century, experiments in infrastructural promotion such as the Erie Canal, transcontinental railroads, and Hoover Dam, inaugurated new roles for government in economy and society and contributed to the United Sates' evolution from a limited, fiscal-military state to a full blown, modern regulatory and welfare state. These experiments were in turn made possible by the United States' vast public lands acquired in its broader context of settler colonialism.
This project explores the interconnections of settler colonialism, land policy, infrastructural promotion, and the emergence of the modern state by closely examining the political conflicts surrounding large scale infrastructure projects in American history such as the Erie Canal, the first transcontinental railroad, and the Hoover Dam.
Role: Students will analyze congressional debates related to the initial promotion, design, construction, and administration of each case study project to systematically document who were the key figures in each, what their social positions and interests were, and how they understood the proper role of government in economy and society. In Spring 2023, students will focus on documents related to the first transcontinental railroad.
In doing so, students will gain experience doing historical research with primary materials, learn about the American legislative process (i.e. how a bill becomes a law) and how it has changed over time, gain experience coding qualitative data, and learn about American political development. Students will gain familiarity using ProQuest Congressional for legislative research. Students should expect to meet weekly with the research team to update each other on progress, discuss the challenges of historical research and explanation as they arise, and refine data collection processes. These meetings will be supervised by Mary Shi. Students will be introduced to Professor Loveman at the beginning of the semester and have the opportunity to discuss project progress and their own research and/or professional interests with Professor Loveman over the course of the semester.
Students who are interested in probing the interplay of economic and political power, approaching politics from a spatial perspective, understanding the changing historical role of the state, or the role of territorial expansion in American history are encouraged to apply. Students interested in careers in public policy, public administration, law, or social science research may find this project particularly interesting.
Qualifications: Students should be detail oriented, organized, and able to meticulously document data sources and information. Students should able to work in teams and collaboratively with the research supervisor.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Mary Shi, Ph.D. candidate
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Off-Campus Research Site: Students can work anywhere (on-campus or remotely) as long as they have an internet connection and access to campus library resources via a VPN. The research team will meet weekly on campus.
Social Sciences