By the Wand of Some Magician: Embracing Modernity in Mid-Nineteenth Century Vermont

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By the Wand of Some Magician addresses the severe impact of railroad technology upon its arrival into Vermont in the mid-nineteenth century that introduced an unprepared, rural population to the effects of modernity. It is conveyed through the debates that legislators had following the destruction of their statehouse in 1857 when they considered various factors able to influence their decision in whether to relocate the capital to someplace other than Montpelier. The story revolves around three important aspects of Vermonters’ lives that the solons considered: how the railroad changed one particular community (Rutland); agriculture; and the health of the state’s inhabitants. Each of these topics is covered, with an emphasis on health. That issue has never been touched on before and includes drug addiction, abortion, and infanticide that increased substantially after the technology arrived. Additionally, new forms of business (corporations), debtor-creditor relations (grab laws), and the influence of out-of-state financiers on the direction of Vermont

government and policy are discussed. Finally, there are many images that accompany the text to provide further context to the story.