Who put forward the concept of 'Civilizing Rails' ?

The correct answer is 'Mark Jefferson'

Key Points

• Mark Jefferson:
  • Mark Jefferson was an American geographer known for his significant contributions to human geography and cartography.
  • He is most famous for his concept of "Civilizing Rails," where he mapped the buffer zones around the world’s railroads as a symbol of "civilization."
  • In his 1928 work, Jefferson defined regions close to railways as "railwebs," marking them as more developed or 'civilized,' while regions with sparse rail networks were labeled as "railnets."
  • This concept reflects early 20th-century views of infrastructure development as a key marker of societal progress and civilization.

Additional Information

• Isaiah Bowman:
  • Isaiah Bowman was another prominent American geographer but was more focused on geopolitical strategies and urban planning.
  • Although he was mentored by Jefferson, Bowman did not directly contribute to the "Civilizing Rails" concept.
• Shaler:
  • Nathaniel Shaler was a geologist and educator who focused on natural resources and the physical landscape rather than railway development or civilization theories.
  • His work primarily revolved around the environmental aspects of geography.
• Buchanan:
  • James M. Buchanan was an economist and not a geographer, known for his contributions to public choice theory and constitutional economics.
  • He had no direct connection to the concept of railroads or civilization as defined by Jefferson.

Important Points

• Mark Jefferson's work played a critical role in advancing the spatial analysis of civilization, and his concept of "railwebs" influenced future studies in human geography.
• The "Civilizing Rails" theory underscores the belief that railroads were key indicators of societal progress during the early 20th century.