The book tracks the period in American history from the end of the War of 1812 to the end of the Mexican American War. It is focused on the revolutionary changes in transportation and communication that occurred during this period. The title takes its name from the quote "What Hath God Wrought", which (though originally from the bible) was used by Samuel F. B. Morse, when he sent the first message along the Baltimore-Washington telegraph line in 1844. In 2008, What Hath God Wrought received the Pulitzer Prize for History.