Essay About Roy Chapin And Construction Of The Lincoln Highway

Roy Chapin
Join now to read essay Roy Chapin
Michael Newberry
History 396 sect 002
Francis Blouin
6 October 2006
Prospectus
Roy Dikeman Chapin served as a key figure for the state of Michigan during the
Industrialization Era. A native of Michigan, Roy Chapin distinguished himself in several
capacities including founder of the Hudson Motor Car Company in 1908, a key figure in
the construction of the Lincoln Highway, and the Secretary of Commerce during the
Hoover administration. Roy Dikeman Chapin and the Hudson Motor Car Company is an
excellent example of Progressivism during the Era of Industrialization in Michigan. The
automotive industry is among the leading factors for Michigan’s change from a rural
setting to an urban setting. Without contributions towards modernization from
individuals such as Roy Chapin, the already delayed urbanization of Michigan may have
taken even longer. Roy Chapin’s economic success in the construction of the Lincoln
Highway and the Hudson Motor Car Company serve as perfect examples are
manifestations of the title of this history class – “Michigan in the Era of
Industrialization.” Several primary sources found in the Bentley Historical Library will
display Roy Chapin’s progressive contributions to the state of Michigan. Also, Roy
Chapin’s story of the Hudson Motor Car Company will undoubtedly be filled with
tensions experienced during this era, several of which may be found on our List of
Tensions.
The material that will be selected for use as primary sources is found in several
major forms at the Bentley Historical Library. The large collection of primary sources
are chiefly letters of correspondence to and from Roy Dikeman Chapin or other
representatives of the Hudson Motor Car Company regarding a product, idea, or political
issue. Roy Chapin spent a great deal of effort in spearheading the construction of the
Lincoln Highway, which he viewed as a major economic advantage for the automotive
industry. Much of his correspondence throughout the 1910s and 1920s dealt with his role
in the construction of this highway. These specific primary resources will be valuable
because they are manifestations of Roy Chapin’s economic progressive ideas. Also, the
local development of the automobile industry and its implications for the nation as a
whole parallels much of the subject matter for History 396. Roy Chapin’s opinions of
modernization/industrialization would evidence themselves in his correspondence
regarding the Lincoln Highway and would serve to strengthen a second primary source
regarding highway transportation; Roy Chapin authored The Economics of Highway
Transport. These two primary sources together create a powerful undertone