How Did The Transcontinental Railroad Affect The Economy

The transcontinental railroad paved the way for the growth and development of the version of the American economy people experience today. The transcontinental railroad was built as a way to connect the east and west coasts in early America. This railroad was built by multiple railroad companies who hired migrant workers from the U.S. Despite these workers being put through dangerous work environments and destroying early settlements of America, the railroad not only substantially cut down travel time, created a vast amount of new settlement in the west, made transporting goods across the country easier, and ultimately changed the trajectory of America. Was the process of building this railroad worth the sacrifices of lives and history or was

The editors of the website, “History.com”, said “ In addition to transporting western food crops and raw materials to East Coast markets and manufactured goods from East Coast cities to the West Coast, the railroad also facilitated international trade…the U.S. by the 1890s had the most powerful economy on the planet” (para 3). Being able to transport goods from coast to coast brought new opportunities, and companies began to gain more profit as a result of more products being sold. The economy went from a generally limited location on the east coast to creating industries across the nation. The railroad created a production boom because industries in the eastern U.S. had to create the supplies necessary to build the railroad as well as creating the opportunity for industries to expand to the

The new industries in the west brought in people who were in search of work, a new life, and a fresh start. While the transcontinental railroad was a turning point in American history with almost an infinite amount of benefits, some might argue that the process of building the railroad was putting many people in danger all around the country. Chinese immigrants who worked on the railroad suffered from abuse, a dangerous work environment, and most importantly discrimination. These workers were abused by their bosses and were also required to dig tunnels. Tunneling was one of the most dangerous jobs because the tunnels could collapse at any time; especially when using explosives. Not only were workers put in danger, but so were the native tribes of America. The government knew that when building the railroad there would be resistance from the natives because the railroad had to go through their land. As a solution, the government decided to get the U.S. army and militias involved in the completion of the railroad. The