Genesis of the Bicycle in the United States

From the time the bicycle first appeared in the United States in 1865, until 1893, when the economy of the country went into a depression and the safety bicycle gained a footing in America, the bicycle underwent enormous changes and had profound effects on society. The history of the bicycle in America from 1865 until 1893 has not been written about in any book. During the 28-year period covered in this book, the bicycle affected many aspects of American life. A perusal of the bibliography and the 254 articles gleaned from the research of 27 magazines in this study, provides discernible patterns of thought about the bicycle in U.S. society. Almost no part of American life was untouched by the bicycle. This period in bicycle history preceded its first heyday in the 1890s. Even today, nearly 120 years later, bicycling remains one of the most popular pastimes in the United States.