The John Henry effect

Published Date: 02nd April 2013

Publication Authors: Irving G

Extract
The “Ballad of John Henry” tells of the legendary black American steel pin driver, John Henry, who swung a huge nine pound hammer driving railroad spikes on the Chesapeake and Ohio railway in the 1870s.1 John Henry was renowned for his strength among his fellow workers and could drive a steel pin into a track with a single blow instead of the usual three. The ballad centres on a competition between John and a mechanical steam powered drill, a controversial innovation that threatened to replace thousands …

Irving, G. (2013). The John Henry effect. BMJ. 346, f1804

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