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How Did The Industrial Revolution Affect Westward Expansion

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At one time, American people only lived to the East. The American people faced many problems trying to move West. The Industrial revolution helped Americans move westward. There were many ideas of transportation that helped Americans. Some of the inventions were Railroads, Steamboats, and Roads. These were a big help to moving. It made it easier for people. The late nineteenth century dealt with the railroads. They were important to economic expansion. The railroad was first made in Britain. A man named George Stephenson was able to successfully use the steam technology of the time to create the first locomotive. Americans came to England to see this, and they were impressed because railroads dropped the cost of carriage by 60-70 percent. …show more content…

It was able to efficiently transport goods and products. Being able to harness the power of steam launched this. Steam-powered things replaced man-powered hand tools that resulted in more production. Before steam power, a water wheel was the main source of power in a factory. Robert Fulton invented his first steamboat in 1807. This boat was named The Clermont. It only took The Clermont 32 hours to travel from New York City to Albany, New York. Before this, people had to rely on wind-dependent boats, which took around five days. When the steamboat came in, people didn’t have to rely on favorable wind to travel. This allowed scheduled departures and arrivals. Steamboats also changed the type of goods that could be sold. Because transportation was now faster, farmers could sell surplus crops to remote locations without worrying about them spoiling while they are being delivered. In result, the selling of surplus crops boosted economic growth in local communities. Because of strong currents, older boats could only travel downstream on the Mississippi. However, the steamboat could travel up and down the Mississippi. It could travel from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to New Orleans, …show more content…

They easily flooded, were muddy, and had many boulders. This made travel by stagecoach or wagon extremely difficult. In 1817, everything changed. Congress authorized the construction of the National Road. This is also known as the Cumberland Road. It went from Maryland to the Ohio River at Wheeling, Virginia. This was the first road to go through the Appalachian Mountains and into the territory of the Old Northwest. The National Road was the biggest road-building project to happen before the 20th century, and it was a rout of crushed stone. Although these roads were not as advanced as the ones we have today, they were still a major improvement. Crushed stone was way easier to travel over. It wouldn’t get muddy or even flood. Along the National Road were turnpikes, or toll roads. Not only did these roads provide easier and quicker travel, but they also collected revenue for the states. Roads made transportation on wagon much more quickly than it was

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This constraint was placed by the natural landscape, as most of the rivers throughout North American only ran from the North the South. However, with American’s choice of creating the steamboat system they turned this constraint into an opportunity. This opportunity provided a means of water transportation throughout America. Using the same

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Traveling for trade’s or for visit was a lot more faster after the steamboat was invented. It was a lot more easier to travel upriver and going against its current. Before the steamboat was even invented, they took more time and a lot more energy when going up steam or against the current. The use of steam speed up the efficient transportation of perishable good and trades. Steamboat was extremely valuable during the civil war.

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From 1865 to 1900 agriculture was at war, shifting from small, individual farms to larger commercialized farms because of the devaluing of currency, competition from corporate farms with more land and better technology, and government policies that proved detrimental to those clinging to old ways of life. To escape debt and seek profit in new lands, many farmers started working westward but so did corporations looking to expand. Because of westward expansion, companies like the union pacific railroad company built railroads that connected lands all across the U.S. and earned 10 miles of land in either direction of the railroad. This land put the railroad in control of many western lands and in control of the prices of land, travel and resource transportation.

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The expansion of railroads, canals, and steamships facilitated economic growth, created new industries and innovations, and set the stage for the continued expansion of the American economy in the years to come. While these developments had their social and environmental costs, they nonetheless represent a critical chapter in the history of the American economy and its ongoing evolution. One significant impact of transportation developments during this period was the opening up of new markets. The expansion of railroads, canals, and steamships made it possible for goods to be transported more quickly and efficiently, and at a lower cost.

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