Why Was Railroads Important To The Economy In The Late Nineteenth Century
Throughout the nineteenth century during the industrial revolution, transportation improvements benefited the economy in America in various ways. Railroads quickly took precedence in the United Sates; they were faster and more reliable than other transportation mode. After the construction of trains in the East, they rapidly spread to the Pacific Ocean. Railroads brought numerous benefits to the economy and the market. In the 1800s, railroads profited the economy in the United States by providing easier access to the western United States, reducing shipping time and cost, and expanding industries.
The construction of railroads in the western United States made the West more accessible. People realized that without the railroad, western land would be unreachable
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The population in western regions grew exponentially after the construction of railroads. For example, Chicago’s population tripled from 1850 to 1860, and railroads were the main reason for the city’s population growth. By 1852, a large percentage of Chicago’s wheat was arriving by trains. The railroads passing through Chicago made the city commercially important to the economy. 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). Western railroads influenced the growth of cities and states in the western United
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