How Did Railroads Affect The Economy

1. The railroads affected the American economy in all positive ways according to the U.S. Senate Report. The railroads increased the value of property, made materials like coal more valuable, and provided a route for coal to travel to New York. The railroads positively impacted the American economy because they increased the value of property. The U.S. Senate Report states, “Railroads in the United States exert a much greater influence upon the value of property than in other countries…The actual increase in the value of lands due to the construction of railroads is controlled by so many circumstances that an accurate estimate can only be approximated and must, in most cases, fall far short of the fact.” The railroads affected the American

The author claims that his argument is just as true for other areas of the nation as it is for the Pennsylvania coal fields. Practically all areas could have benefited from railroads. Railroads could transport nearly anything, and that means that all sectors of the U.S. could benefit from railroads. For some areas, railroads could fuel the want for expansion. The Library of Congress says, “Pioneering and westward expansion also fueled the growth of railroads while railroads, in turn, fueled pioneering and expansion. Pioneers' movement West created demand for means of transportation to new territories.” Populations that desired to expand and travel would have benefited from railroads, because they provided fast and safe transportation. Railroads could not only haul coal and iron, but they could haul farmers’, miners’, and loggers’ products. The Library of Congress states, “Railroads were necessary to transport the farms' harvests to the cities. At the same time, railroads also supported an industrial boom fueled by the exploitation of natural resources. Like farmers, mining and logging companies needed a way to transport their products to industrial centers and found their need met by trains.” Any areas that grew crops, mined, logged, etc. would have benefited from railroads, because they would have been able to transport their products to sell. Railroads reduced the travel time required to deliver things like mail. The Library of Congress states, “After nearly 4,000 years of delivery by foot, horse, or boat, in the early 19th century the speed of mail delivery was greatly improved with the use of steamships and railroads.” Areas across the nation would have benefited from railroads because they increased the speed of mail, and this meant news would spread faster. Railroads would have fueled the want for expansion, hauled products to be sold, and increased the speed of mail. All areas would have benefited from