What would you say the most important thing in Chicago’s history is? Some would say the telephone or the skyscraper, but these things as we know them wouldn’t even exist without the telegraph. The telegraph first came to Chicago in 1848, and from then on was a very important contribution to the history of Chicago. Without it, many buildings would have burned during the Great Chicago Fire as the mayor of Chicago asked for supplies from Milwaukee with the telegraph. Due to this important invention, many buildings were saved because of quick and easy communication. Chicago quickly became a center for communication, and without the telegraph, this essay wouldn’t even be possible. Although some people believe that the skyscraper is an important invention in Chicago’s history because it led to the iconic design of Chicago, the telegraph is more important in Chicago’s history because it built up Chicago as a center for communication, was a base for more modern communication, and led to easier collaboration between people for other important things, such as construction and local events. Without the telegraph, Chicago would not be as big of a city as it is today. By the 1880’s, Chicago was the second-largest city …show more content…
With the telegraph, people in Chicago could communicate with people all the way in the East Coast almost instantly (The History of the Telegraph in Chicago, Illinois). Before, messages would have to be sent by horse-back and would take days or even weeks to get from one place to another. This instant communication allowed for easier and more efficient collaboration between multiple parties for projects, events, construction, and more. This sped up the process of Chicago’s improvement and construction. Even during the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, a telegram sent from the mayor of Chicago brought fire-fighting equipment from Milwaukee (The History of the Telegraph in Chicago,
But, there is a key aspect to the machine’s development that cannot be ignored. Chicago’s development was very much dependent on a key aspect of urban politics; that being coincidence. As stated in Intro to Urban Politics- Lecture 2- Historical Development, “And remember, political machines did not develop in a vacuum, they developed out of a response to something,” (18). Chicago’s political machine developed due to the lucky circumstances that arose, the political party’s reactiveness, and the hierarchy’s ability to stay quiet.
Beginning in the early 1800s, Cincinnati was not just a fast-growing metropolis, it was an industrial powerhouse. Its location along the Ohio River made it the ideal spot for manufacturing and transportation of goods in the Midwest, which sparked a long period of population growth from 1800 - 1850. Fueled by the burgeoning meatpacking industry, Cincinnati was dubbed “Porkopolis,” and supplied much of the central and Northeastern United States with meat, primarily pork products; despite this, the urban expansion didn’t last. The growth of the U.S. railroad network and a shift away from water-based transportation meant meatpacking moved to Chicago, leaving Cincinnati a shell of the city it could have been. This paper will examine the rise and
This competition also affected the future of American construction and the weak environment that was in Chicago slowed the process of construction. This situation was difficult because “… Burnham and Root were being called upon to build what amounted to an entire city in the same amount of time- not just any city, but one that would surpass the brilliance of the Paris exposition.” (44). The depiction of the strain and stress set forth by the success of Paris is reiterated to the reader each time the Paris Exposition Universelle is described in such an adored
The Transcontinental Railroad transformed the United States socially by allowing people to travel across the country, bringing people together, and beginning discrimination against the Chinese. The first way that the Transcontinental Railroad transformed the United States is by allowing people to travel across the country. Many ads invited “tourists and pleasure seekers” to use the Transcontinental Railroad to see mountains, valley, lakes, and more attractions (Doc G). Before the Transcontinental Railroad, it was difficult and dangerous to travel away from home, but the railroads made it easy, safe, and convenient to explore the country.
The Illinois Central Railroad Company (IC) was a large railroad company that aided in the industrial success and development of the west. It was constructed in 1851 to 1857 and started in Cairo, Illinois. The Illinois Central Railroad tested the success of federal subsidation in this industry because it was “Americas first land-grant railroad”. The Illinois Central Railroad holds much historical significance as it is a model for other railroad companies to come. There are many aspects that must be taken into consideration when looking to improve the current situation of this company.
The Transcontinental Railroad not only made travel and shipping faster and cheaper, but it also contributed greatly to the Westward expansion of the United Stated (Haycox, 2001). In 1830 America introduced the
A Chicago newspaper said that railroads are important to the success of a city; without railroads, a city would not be able to compete with railroad cities (Dreyfus 1). As the transcontinental railroad stretched to the Pacific Ocean, numerous towns grew along the railroad. Railroad businesses sold land in the railroad towns to enterprising people moving west, and as a result, the towns grew rapidly (Hudson 42). Also, trains were instrumental in the settlement of Nebraska and other western states. Railroads quickened the settlement of Nebraska and were one of the main methods that led people to move to Nebraska (Berens and Mitchell 287).
In 1870, the United States was in the midst of drastic changes as technology advancements and new laws led to rapid industrialization. While the North had seen much of this progress take effect, the impacts on the South and the West were just beginning to take shape. Numerous aspects of the American economy, such as plantation systems, the Clipper Ships, the emergence of trade unions, and the invention of the McCormick Reaper, had become integral parts of the economic landscape. Immigration and tenant farmers, abolitionists, and nativists were at the forefront of cultural and economic changes that were occurring across the country. This essay will explore the various technologies, economies, and people of 1870 in the North, South, and West
In 1866, the Rocky Mountain News reported that, "the one moral, the one remedy for every evil, social, political, financial, and industrial, the one immediate vital need of the entire Republic, is the Pacific Railroad” (Rocky Mountain News, 1866). The Transcontinental Railroad is often recognized for solving all the inconveniences that the United States had such as slow and inefficient trade, slow transportation, and limited communication. When it was completed on May 10, 1869, it had immediate effects on America and marked the beginning of a new transportation era. For instance, in the 1800s, it took half a day by stage coach to travel from New York to Boston.
The relay of information was vital to staying connected in the ever changing world. The general public finally had another outlet providing news and entertainment besides the newspaper. Newspapers often swayed individuals with wording, headlines, and bias. People felt
This is one of the reasons why the Transcontinental Railroad transformed the social aspect of the United States in the 1860s. The T. R. links together family members, business associates, and friends that normally would not be able to be linked very easily. The idea of movement of people also plays a role, with the gold rush of 1848 many of the men went down to California leaving their families in the east, now with the railroad it made it significantly more realistic for the family to head west as well, whether to live or just visit. Another huge part of the social aspects of the Transcontinental Railroad was the unification given to the United States. Before the T. R. the country was a sprawling mass.
In station 6, we can see that there is an article containing a list of inventions from the Industrial Revolution, in which the telegraph/Morse code was shown. In the article, it is shown that the telegraph was invented in 1837, and it allowed for people to quickly communicate with each other. Even though the Industrial revolution happened a while after the Westward Expansion, it still was an effect that occurred due to the Americans gaining more land and having expanded resources. Another opportunity presented by Westward Expansion was the Gold Rush of 1848, where thousands of people from all over rushed to what is now known as California in order to mine for gold. At station 5, there is an additional set of slides regarding the gold rush, which is my source.
The railroad was America's first technological corridor. Just as it fostered the growth of the American economy, it also fostered the development of the nation's public discourse and intellectual
Chicago was seen by outsiders as a land of opportunity the same way our founding fathers saw America as the land of new beginnings. Individuals all across the nation spoke of Chicago as having a “spirit” of it own and “tangible force” that was similar to the American dream (Larson 16). As people spoke so highly of Chicago and its technology, it still did not escape the criticism from other states about how the city would not be able to handle organizing a World’s fair. When the grounds of the World’s Fair were ere being prepared in Jackson Park, Chicago, the soil was too dense to build extravagant buildings, the architects in charge of creating the buildings for the World’s Fair were surprised with all the extra work needed in order for the foundations of the buildings to be sturdy (Larson
The building of roads, canals and railroads played a large role in the United States during the 1800s. They served the purpose of connecting towns and settlements so that goods could be transported quickly and more efficiently. These goods could be transported fast, cheap and in safe way through the Erie Canal that was built to connect the Great Lakes to New York. Railroads were important during Civil War as well, because it helped in the transportation of goods, supplies and weapons when necessary. These new forms of transportation shaped the United States into the place that it is today.