Themes in The Journal of Sean Sullivan
This is a list of the book’s themes along with the related journal entries.
MAJOR THEMES
Workers and Working conditions
• August 11, 13, 16 (pages 16-17, 19-20)
• September 18, 20 (pages 33-36)
• November 9, 29 (pages 48-49, 54-56)
• April 1, 5 (page 67-68)
• May 3 (page 71)
• November 14 (page 100)
• December 26 (pages 116-117)
• April 9 (pages 138)
Tension between immigrant groups
• October 26-28 (pages 45-46)
• September 1 (page 88)
• October 27 (pages 98-99)
• March 9, March 11-24 (pages 132, 134-36)
• April 28 (page 141-42)
• May 10 (pages 146-149)
Boomtowns
• August 8 (pages 9-10)
• September 21 (page 37)
• November 18, 15 (pages 50-51)
• March 7 (pages 129-30)
• May 20, 21 (pages 154, 156)
Corporate and government corruption
• August 29 (page 30)
• December 5 (page 56)
• November 3, 19, 23 (pages 100, 103-05, 107)
• January 8 (page 122)
• February 29 (pages 126-27)
• March 10 (page 133)
• April 10 (pages 138-39)
• May 6, 8, 19 (pages 145, 146, 153-54)
• Epilogue (pages 166-70)
MINOR THEMES
Conflict with Great Plains Indian tribes
• August 6, 7, 17 (pages 3-7, 20-21)
• April 24 (page 71)
• July 27 (page 82)
• May 21 (pages 156-57)
• Drawings (pages 171, 176)
The Natural Environment
• August 18, 28 (pages 22-23, 29-30)
• January 14 (page 59)
• Feb 13 (page 62)
• March 25 (page 66)
• May 21, 20 (pages 155, 157)
Living conditions of railroad builders
• August 8 (page 9)
• September 21 (page 37)
• November 18 (page 50)
• May 20 (page 154-55)
Transportation and technology
• August 7 (page 6)
• October 15 (pages 92-94)
• December 4 (page 109)
• June 8 (page 120)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
“Life in America in 1867” (Historical Notes, Images and Maps)
• Map of transcontinental railroad route (page181)
• Drawings of Indians, showing conflict with railroad (pages 171, 176)
• Photographs of historical figures and railroad workers, prints of railroad construction, boom towns, and living conditions the book (pp. 171-79)
Creator | American Social History Project/Center for Media & Learning
Rights | Copyright American Social History Project/Center for Media & Learning.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.Item Type | Worksheet
Cite This document | American Social History Project/Center for Media & Learning, “Themes in The Journal of Sean Sullivan,” SHEC: Resources for Teachers, accessed December 2, 2023, https://shec.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1925.
