ipl-logo

Negative Effects Of The Transcontinental Railroad

1222 Words5 Pages

The 1800s was a very eventful time for American history, consisting of the Industrial Revolution, Civil War, and arguably the biggest change in our society, the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. This extraordinary invention and design allowed for a lot of change in the U.S. This railroad truly paved the way for America’s future, and it instilled a strong sense of pride in the nation. The Transcontinental Railroad was a positive invention because it allowed for longer distance travel, and unified the nation; yet it could be seen as a negative invention because of the disaster it created for the Native Americans and the extermination of buffalo. In 1830, the transcontinental railroad, America's first steam locomotive, made its …show more content…

Although the world's size did not literally shrink, it seemed as if it had because it was easier to travel across the United States by the railroad. The time to travel cross country decreased dramatically from 4 months to just 3 and a half days with the Transcontinental Railroad. Because of this change in time travel, the Transcontinental Railroad served as an important link for trade. It was also a lot cheaper; the price to travel across the country decreased from $10,000 to just $150 using the first steam locomotive. Traveling before using something like the Pony express was difficult and not very safe. As stated in an article, "With the American Civil War raging and a secessionist movement in California gaining steam, the apparent need for the railroad became more urgent." This shows how there became a greater need for the railroad in the years before. It provided a safer, faster, and less expensive mean of transportation for goods and passengers. The railroad resulted the extermination of stagecoach lines and wagon trains which were far more dangerous and unpredictable. In summation, this railroad had a positive impact on the nation because it allowed for shorter travel time for goods and

Show More
Related

Transcontinental Railroad Dbq Essay

415 Words | 2 Pages

People always say that the best inventions ever are phones or computers, but there is one that people take for granted. This invention changed the way we look at shipping forever. The Transcontinental railroad changed the United States economically more than socially or politically because, it allowed western states export their goods easier, increased the amount of goods exported, and made it cheaper for states to export their products. The U.S was changed more economically, because it helped transport the western states goods to the east so it could be transported. Lovelock Nevada was a city that mined silver.

Read More

How Did The Transcontinental Railroad Affect The Settling Of The West?

571 Words | 3 Pages

In the late 19th century there was a spike in Railroad Construction in the United States. The growth began as a result of congress passing the Pacific Railroad Bill in 1862 which began the construction of the Transcontinental Railroads. In the near future the Transcontinental Railroads would connect both sides of the United States, therefore they would eventually lead up to the settling of the west. Railroads in the late 19th century would affect the settling of the west by allowing people to travel to find work in an efficient manner, by allowing faster and more efficient methods to transport goods to consumers, and improving the economy overall. Starting off Railroads greatly impacted travel time from one place to another.

Read More

How And Why Did Transportation Developments Spark Economic Development From 1860 To 1900

1201 Words | 5 Pages

The development of railroads was perhaps the most significant transportation development of the period. Prior to the Civil War, there were only around 30,000 miles of railroad track in the United States, but by 1900 that number had grown to over 200,000 miles (White,

Read More

Transcontinental Railroad Research Paper Outline

1080 Words | 5 Pages

Transcontinental Railroad Tera Richardson, 4336787 History 102 B008 Sum 17 Professor Traci Sumner American Military University July 22, 2017 Abstract The transcontinental railroad was one of the biggest advocates for the industrial economy and westward expansion. The railroads could transfer goods and people across the country with ease, and quickly. While some bad came from this miraculous progression, such as the panic of 1873 and a yellow fever epidemic, the good outweighed the bad as it enabled the United States to fulfill its Manifest Destiny through westward expansion.

Read More

Transcontinential Railroad Thesis

148 Words | 1 Pages

It allowed for the transportation of larger quantities of goods over longer distance. Without the railroad the economy of the West would have had a very hard time expanding. Because of those things you can say that the railroad allowed the West

Read More

Post Civil War Dbq

1017 Words | 5 Pages

During this time period there were great technological advancements. One of these advancements was railroads. Railroads were a positive change because it helped transport people and goods across the country. Businesses depended greatly upon transportation in order to transport their goods. Despite the positives of railroads, there were negatives.

Read More

Gilded Age Research Paper

716 Words | 3 Pages

Before railroads, transportation was slow and relied on things like wagons and canals. But railroads are way faster and more efficient. They could carry a lot more stuff and go way farther in a shorter time. This made it possible to transport raw materials, like coal and iron, to factories where they were needed. It also makes it easier to ship finished products to markets across the country.

Read More

How Did The Railroads Affect The Economy

891 Words | 4 Pages

The first way that the economy was impacted was that with the ease and efficiency of the railroads, they created a large demand for goods and labor because they needed a lot of people to help build the railroads and also needed a large quantity of steel for the rails and wood for the railroad ties. Secondly the railroads created a huge national market because of the simplicity of delivering goods from place to place. The railroads helped the people in even the most rural place prosper with the cost efficient transportation of the trains. From 1830 to 1861, the United States laid aproximately 30,000 miles of railroad track, which led to an increase in demand for coal which was used to produce iron for the

Read More

Why Was The First Transcontinental Road Important

609 Words | 3 Pages

First Transcontinental Road is Built The first transcontinental road was a length of 1,776 miles. The transcontinental road was built in 1860 and finished on May 10, 1869. This was one of America’s greatest inventions that had brought many successes to America, however there were difficulties along the way, such as Native American tribes being moved due to the transcontinental road invading their land. In this paper I am going to tell you about the invention that was so important to America in the 19th century.

Read More

How Did The Civil War Affect The Economy

791 Words | 4 Pages

Because of the rapid settlement of the western land in the 1850s, Congress wanted to enforce a transcontinental railroad to replace America’s current weak transportation system—horse-drawn carriages were still used and soldiers often had to walk. But due to the constant competition between the Northern members and the Southern

Read More

The Role Of Industrialization In The Gilded Age

502 Words | 3 Pages

Specifically, that of the the Transcontinental Railroad. The Transcontinental Railroad, completed in 1869, made it possible to travel from New York to San Francisco in eight days. Prior to the railroad, it would take more than four months to travel from New York to San Francisco. As a result of the railroad, goods could be shipped more quickly and less expensively, which meant that the price of goods decreased and increased the size of

Read More

Transcontinental Railroad

822 Words | 4 Pages

By using the railroads people were able to travel towards the western frontier in hopes of a better place. It is true that railroads organized internal transportation and intimately connect the Midwest to West. Furthermore, this opportunity was not accessible to everyone. Unequal gender and racial relationships became more obvious for those who had the short end of the stick. Womyn and men, as were colored and white people, were physically separated in a streetcar.

Read More

How Did Laissez Faire Economics Affect The Economy

907 Words | 4 Pages

3. Railroads helped American businesses expand by giving them access to new markets, allowing goods to be shipped and purchased faster, and through the consumption of large amounts resources. 4. The transcontinental railroad transformed the west physically through its presence and the mass amount of work that had to be done to build them, and most abstractly by bringing it closer to the rest of the union and by bringing about the system of time zones. 5.

Read More

Transportation In The 1800s Essay

558 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More

Essay On The Impact Of Railroads In America

821 Words | 4 Pages

The Tremendous Impact of Railroads on America In the late 19th century, railroads propelled America into an era of unprecedented growth, prosperity, and convenient transportation. Prior to the building of the railroads, America lacked the proper and rapid transportation to make traveling across the country economical or practical. Lengthy travel was often cumbersome, costly, and dangerous.

Read More

More about Negative Effects Of The Transcontinental Railroad

Open Document