A Brief History of Engineering in America

Engineering came into existence as an academic practice in the mid-19th century. The study of engineering had been done prior to this, but not at a purely professional level. Most engineers before 1829 were either in the military or were apprentices to people in other fields with skill sets complementary to those needed for engineering. The first college engineering program in the United States started at RPI in 1829, followed by Harvard in 1842 and Yale in 1849. This started the academic approach to engineering, but what really brought engineering into focus in America were professional societies and the rise of the Army Corps of Engineers. In 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers and Architects was established and lasted late into the century.

These types of organizations were commonplace in the mid to late-19th century and allowed engineers of all types to establish connections as well as creating a network for this relatively new field. The government also committed to creating a body for engineers to do civil works, such as bridges, dams, and canals. The Army Corps of Engineers was established in the Second Continental Congress and was responsible for the creation of many Washington D.C. monuments (including the Lincoln Memorial and the Library of Congress) and national projects (like the Cumberland National Road).

Three reasons explain why engineering became such an important academic and professional endeavor. First, the movement of Americans westward created the need for many different engineering marvels (bridges, sanitation systems, canals). Engineers played a large role in the creation of cities in the West, experimenting with different designs not possible in the established East. Second, the need for engineering standards grew in importance. Instead of having hundreds of independent engineers of varying quality, there were groups established that provided resources and insights into planning and implementation. This ties in with the third reason, which is the need for planners who were up to date on issues in engineering.

There is a valid question of whether technology transformed engineering or engineering transformed views of technology. While there is a symbiotic relationship between the two developments, it is more a relationship of necessity and obsolescence. Engineering creates needed technology in order to traverse natural boundaries. However, technology eventually becomes obsolete, requiring new engineering techniques. In a sense, there is a constant succession of one of the two elements: either engineering has temporarily conquered nature or technology’s fleeting usefulness requires engineers to improve on their previous feats. This dichotomy will never cease because there will always be something to conquer and make technology obsolete.