A short history of Pittsburgh : 1758-1908

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

23507

Title

A short history of Pittsburgh : 1758-1908

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Samuel Harden Church's 1908 history chronicles Pittsburgh from its 1758 founding by George Washington to the turn of the century. Divided into historical, industrial, and intellectual sections, the text details the city's strategic military origins, its rise as a steel and glass manufacturing hub, and its development as a center for education and culture, offering a comprehensive portrait of an imperial American city.

Summary up to 500 words

Published in 1908 to commemorate Pittsburgh's 150th anniversary, Samuel Harden Church's *A Short History of Pittsburgh* chronicles the city's transformation from a wilderness outpost into an imperial metropolis. Church structures the narrative into three distinct parts: Historical, Industrial, and Intellectual, arguing that Pittsburgh excels in all three categories. The historical section begins with George Washington's 1753 expedition, where the young major selected the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers as the ideal site for a fort, rejecting a lower promontory recommended by Native Americans. Following Washington's advice, Captain William Trent established the first permanent white settlement in 1754. The narrative details the subsequent French and British struggles for control, the construction of Fort Duquesne, and its eventual capture and renaming to Fort Pitt by General Forbes in 1758. The historical account continues through the American Revolution, the Whisky Insurrection of 1794, and the catastrophic Great Fire of 1845, which destroyed much of the business district but spurred reconstruction. The industrial section highlights the city's dominance in steel production, glass manufacturing, and coal mining, noting the presence of major corporations like Carnegie Steel and the United States Steel Corporation. Church also addresses the intense labor conflicts that defined the era, dedicating significant attention to the Homestead Strike of 1892. This incident illustrated the fierce tensions between skilled workers and management, involving the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers and the controversial hiring of Pinkerton agents. Finally, the intellectual section showcases Pittsburgh's evolution into a hub for higher education and science. Church features the University of Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Institute, the Phipps Conservatory, and the Allegheny Observatory. Through this unique combination of military history, industrial might, and intellectual achievement, Church concludes that Pittsburgh had become an 'imperial' city, notable and significant under every title.

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Categories

• History