Railroads

Civil War Breakthroughs is a podcast that explores how the inventions, ideas, and innovations of the Civil War era defined a new kind of conflict. In our first season, The Technological War, we'll explore the technologies and concepts that brought the conflict into the modern age.On this episode, we're joined by  Scott Huffard, a professor of history at Lees-McRae College and author of Engines of Redemption: Railroads and the Reconstruction of Capitalism in the New South. He talks about how railroads became the engine of the Civil War, transforming everything from logistics to troop movements. ©2026 by The Civil War Monitor. All rights reserved.