//------------------------------//
// Chapter 25: Road to the Modern World – The Booming Century 
// Story: Equestria: A History Revealed 
// by Hoofry_Poneigher 
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	As I said before, the last century of the stagnation, known as the Booming Century, ended the economic and political “struggles” of the past. With the creation of the railroad, this effectively ended the Millennial Stagnation, and allowed Equestria to start doing stuff again.

So then why in blue blazes is the booming century just a subset of the Millennial Stagnation, and is forced under its umbrella name? Well, historians said that technically while Equestria’s economy improved from pre-1910 levels, it never reached the same heights as Classical era levels, so it was still a stagnation.[321] And while Celestia began to be more open in politics and accessibility (during her search for succession, will be covered in due time), technically her sister was still banished at this time, so it’s still a millennial stagnation.[322]

But wading through all this bullshit, I know the real reason why it’s called that. As I said a million times before, historians just suck at naming things. They would rather keep a name that made no sense and bullshit their way an explanation for its shitty name than be forced to think of a new one. And to that I say, whatever. For I bullshitted justified the reasoning behind the stagnation’s name last chapter anyways (that under Celestia, everything is a stagnation), even though I did admit that the Stagnation was the least stagnant out of all of Celestia’s eras. Things are just funny that way, huh?

So blah blah blah, if this is a sub-era of the Millennial Stagnation, whatever. As I said before, I only keep the Millennial Stagnation name because it’s easier to write.

Before the creation of these railroads, the transition to this Booming Century was defined by Celestia’s gradual return to the political sphere. Equestria finally began trying new things to improve the economy (possibly because Celestia finally awoke to the “stagnation” that her country was undergoing); the most significant of which was shifting from its fiercely isolationist policy into a form of imperialism.[323] To accomplish this and give the country the “boost” it thought it needed, Celestia finally began to establish some new foreign relations, and by that, I meant she began to establish colonies in the east through force.[324]

You might think that I would be against such an idea, because the very concept of imperialism was based off the unicorn ideals of superiority and manifest destiny; belief in their “right to rule”.[325] And you would especially think I wouldn’t want any other creature to be forced under Celestia’s subservience; truly the cruelest punishment anypony could go through.

But you would be wrong. For I am a pony who is filled with love and tolerance, and fully respect all new opinions.

In truth, this indifference is mostly due to the fact that I hate all other non-pony animals wayyy more than I hate unicorns, so I have no problem in seeing us ponies rule over them under our hoof, even if that hoof happens to be Celestia’s.

But that love and tolerance thing too. Like 80% to 20%. Okay, 90% to 10%.

Unfortunately, this advent of imperialist ambitions did not cause Celestia to begin a greater plan for oppression and genocide of other creatures in foreign lands like I hoped. Figures; she’s a terrible ruler who can’t even listen to the opinions of her subjects.

Instead, she began this new foreign policy in Saddle Arabia, a large island that lied to the east, which unfortunately habited ponies.[326] I guess Celestia just couldn’t resist oppressing more ponies after all.

Sources say that Saddle Arabia was chosen as the “great imperialist experiment” due to its abundance of resources and very fertile plains.[327] Like seriously, just big tracts of land.[328]

It was thanks to this new relationship that Equestria’s economic stagnation did not reach full critical mass like me after my weekly ice cream buffet.[329]

Some whispers in the dark say that there are rumors that Celestia had secretly overthrown the previously flourishing republic of Saddle Arabia, using her agents to invoke a revolution in order to implant her puppet government; one that would cater to her every whim and fancy, and could be easily appeased by animal light shows.

But I don’t see anything interesting in that. So let’s move on.

While trading stations and ports in Saddle Arabia would certainly help the situation and temporarily aid Equestria through some of the greater economic hardships, (that is, of course, if there was a situation at all, which I clearly have explained before was simply not true), Celestia knew that this would not be the lasting solution she needed to solve this crisis.[330]

Of course, this didn’t stop her from keeping her grip on Saddle Arabia for the next century. God, Celestia, you’re such a selfish prick. Why don’t you get off your ass, and do some real good, like sending your agents to slaughter all the impure give “international aid” to the nations in the south? Saddle Arabia’s such a waste of time when there’s so much more appropriate oppression that can still be done in this world.

Let’s get to the real solution that was mentioned like, many a paragraph before, sapping away any of the suspense. In case you already forgot what it was (and I wouldn’t be surprised, your brain is nothing but a waste of animal fat compared to me), it’s trains.

While Celestia’s imperialism took place in the last few years of the ninth century of the era, scientists made a bountiful discovery at this time as well. The creation of the first-ever, “steam engine”. Co-invented by an Apple and a Rock[331] (I’m assuming these are surnames here), the possibilities from this discovery were limitless. Even Celestia was rather interested in this, and the project was given her official backing, with the first ever prototype steam train made only five years later.[332]

Resource management in the Classical era mostly followed the tenants of the Three Point Plan, in which some of the more resource-prosperous areas would provide a certain amount of supplies to nationalized “resource-zones”, which would act as stores and deliver these essentials to cities of greater need.[333] Most towns and cities of course, subverted this by creating their own resource bases (such as the creation of apple farms, a staple food in basic pony diet), in an effort of self-sustainability, and to avoid the hassles associated with these bureaucratic zones.[334]

But with post-war recovery, it seemed as though the areas lying to the west, the most touched by Nightmare occupation, had its economic infrastructure suffer the most, and never truly were able to return to its pre-war levels. Of course, the earth ponies were much more acquainted with farming, which resulted in the east enjoying the fastest recovery and more of the benefit, while resources in central and western Equestrian had to be transported by simple horse-drawn carriages.[335] This of course, led to racial disputes, especially as the earth ponies eventually became so prosperous they could improve upon their own city, Manehattan, which would soon rival Canterlot in its glory.[336] ♫EARTH PONIESS! FUCK YEAHH! ♫

While of course, Central and Western Equestria could fend for themselves (after all, Canterlot was still recognized as the Mecca of aristocracy), this slow method of resource transport would serve to limit their growth, causing their cities to be “stuck in the past”, while earth pony cities began to flourish in wealth and power.[337] AWW YEAHHH! SUCKS TO BE YOUUUU

Of course, this caused the steam train to be an excessively interesting concept to Celestia. The nation had previously experimented with more efficient ways of resource transport even back in the Classical era, experimenting with hot air balloons to little avail.[338] But the steam train, while needing a huge undertaking to reach its full potential, was certainly too fascinating for Celestia to pass up.

So, Celestia, taking a gamble (how reckless. You’d never see Equinus or Discord do such a thing. And especially not Luna.[339]), approved the creation of an national, transcontinental railroad system, pushing its approval through the slogs of bureaucracy very quickly with the full extent of her power.[340]



“She saw something in the invention that others didn’t, and we are glad her wisdom paid off. For the creation of the Equestrian railroad would be the breakthrough the nation needed.”[341]



This new system, while acting as a huge blow to the dwindling national budget, obviously was seen as a great risk. But as mentioned, it was a risk that paid off, and it fully jump-started the economy back on its feet. Which in my opinion, didn’t need the jump-starting. It was like using a defibrillator on a goat with a stroke; just a waste of everyone’s time.

Nonetheless, the creation of this railroad created a multitude of new jobs for ponies who were unsure of their place in the world. From planning, surveying, and construction, the railroad opened up new opportunities for many a pony.[342] Not only that, with its completion in 1929, it truly opened up Equestria in a way its citizens had never seen before. Earth pony, unicorn, and pegasi cities (at least the pegasi cities that could be visited by ponies on the ground) were visited by ponies who would never before have the opportunity to go to such places. Canterlot in particular, was filled with tourists, with the highest ever numbers recorded for that year’s Summer Sun Celebration.[343]

With this new freedom to travel to any part of Equestria without requiring a recklessly long journey, the possibilities exploded. Ponies began setting up shop in different places to provide new items to ponies who had never seen such things before.[344] It promoted racial mixing, with a slow, but steady integration of the three pony races in the cities.[345] And, most of all, it allowed resources to be transported across Equestria much more quickly than the previous system, which promoted an influx of restructuring in aiding towns that needed the help.[346]

Not only that, but with the later extensions of the railroads (a process, that might I add, would continue on, even to this day), it allowed more and more earth pony settlers to explore the unexplored regions, especially the deserts to the south, in attempts to establish new prosperous cities and towns. Before they were hesitant to bother with such things, as even if they were to settle and create a new town, they wouldn’t know whether or not they would have a strong enough customer base to support themselves; especially because not many ponies would normally venture into these unknown deserts (after all, you wouldn’t want to run into a buffalo or something. You might need immediate sterilization after that).

But now the railroads made this problem a thing of the past; if your town could thrive and prove bountiful enough to warrant it, even new towns could earn the potential to have the Equestrian Railroad Line extended to the area, which would accentuate the town’s success even further.[347] The fear and the problems of establishing new settlements vanished like a fart in the wind, and with the construction of more and more new townships,[348] Equestrian prosperity expanded as well. The railroads, town constructions, and Equestria as a whole, would all benefit from this mutualistic relationship; new towns would continue to be built throughout the rest of the century, continuing even to the present day.[349]

Even a jaded pony like me could see the strengths and benefits of this new railroad system in Equestria. But what I really love about it was its use of coal and fossil fuels to power the steam trains.

Think about it. A pony invention that is fueled by the desecration and burning of the fossilized remains of the ancestors of land stock vermin. It’s like Hearth’s Warming Eve and all of my birthdays combined into one. Sure, some trains still relied on pure pony strength to pull it, but the steam train system is still the one that is most relied upon, pumping tons of the ashes of who-knows-how many corpses of filth into the sky each day. And god bless Equestria for it.

But like always, this brilliant solution that seemingly solved all of Equestria’s problems (the economy, the question of transport, racial-social issues, and the problems regarding stagnant national growth) that was approved and pushed by Celestia was not accomplished because of her keen leadership instincts and skills, but just her dumb luck as usual. Her magic 8-ball must have been having a good day or something.   

Nonetheless, I gotta give credit where credit is due.

Thank you, me, for being so awesome.[350]

With the invention of the railroad, Equestria truly “stepped into the modern world and put the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 to the test”,[351] defining the Booming Century, and paving the way to the new world.

With the initial economic bang’s slow end towards the new millennium, it would be at that point in which the Booming Century would truly be declared over. Of course, the Millennial Stagnation wouldn’t be declared over just yet (because even though the Stagnation should’ve rightfully been declared done as soon as the railroads solved everything, historians still suck at naming), as it would only “officially” end with the redemption of Princess Luna. And believe me, there’s an alot’s[352] worth of stuff that has to be covered before that (the mane six, Celestia’s evil plans, yada yada yada). But there was still one more significant event during this century that must be addressed before I can truly move on.

The Second Battle of Canterlot.

I’ll try to mow through this quickly, cuz I know how much you guys hate reading about battles. Wrap your legs around my hips; we’re going on one more ride, Larry.