How and why did transportation developments spark economic growth during the period from 1860 to 1900 in the United States? The period from 1860 to 1900 was marked by significant economic growth in the United States, fueled in large part by the development of transportation infrastructure. This essay will examine how and why transportation developments sparked economic growth during this period, exploring the impact of railroads, canals, and steamships on the American economy.
There have been steam engine trains trailing the United States in the early 1800’s. Many of the early ones ran only a few dozen miles. When the railways ran longer distances, the cost to build and later ride them were be extremely high. However, long distances were what Minnesota needed to keep up with the competitive and growing nation around it. “Construction began on the first track in 1861 in St. Paul and was completed in 1862.”
During the period of 1815-1860, a Transportation Revolution swept through America (Murrin pg. 293). The improvements in transportation included more and better roads. steamboats, canals, and railroads (Murrin pg. 293). These new railroads were able to connect old communities with previously isolated areas (Murrin pg. 293). In 1815 the United States was a rural area stretching from old settlements on the Atlantic coast to the trans-Appalachian west, with transportation facilities spanning from primitive and nonexistent (Murrin pg. 294).
The major decline in railroad transportation during the 1950’s was primarily due to the vast construction of interstate highway by the government. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 authorized the vast construction of 41,000 miles of roadway with a steep price of 25 billion dollars that would come from taxpayer money. With the increase in air and road travel, the need to travel by rail, in a less direct route, seemed unnecessary. This would ultimately leave railroad companies to believe traveling by rail was in a permanent decline. On February 18, 1947, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) formally announced that they were operating at a loss.
Christine Lin Prompt: Evaluate the extent to which transportation innovation contributed to American national unity in the period from 1800 to 1860. are The innovation of transportation unified the American nation by connecting the states to make America’s government powerful. However, many may argue that these innovations only created more tension between the North and South states, not contributing to American national unity at all. Nonetheless, transportation gave people more opportunities to get a job and therefore helped the American economy prosper. Westward expansion was a goal that the government wanted to accomplish, and the new transportation advancements paved the way for that to happen.
Around 50 years before the American Civil War started, the Americans nation was blessed with a so-called "transportation revolution." This revolution in the transportation methods drastically changed the way in which the Americans and their belongings journeyed across their massive new continent. Prior to the revolution, transportations and traveling were made mostly over rivers, or on wagons dragged by imported horses on bad country roads, which was both dangerous and slow. This so called "transportation revolution," involving building a 620-mile long road called the national road in-between 1811-1837, and later on an entire railroad system, opened up new land for the American settlement as it provided the habitants with faster access to more
Transportation Revolution The transportation revolution is believed to have begun in 1807 when the government seemed it was going to become active in growing infrastructure. The treasury secretary, at the time, Albert Gallatin was asked to develop “a plan for the application of such means as are within the power of Congress, to the purpose of opening roads and making canals” (W&R). This plan was not to happen and throughout this revolution the government was only responsible for a few projects. Without much government aid, entrepreneurs took matters into their own hands, creating competition.
What were some forms of Communication and Transportation, linking the East to the West, during the early 1800's. To begin with, some forms of transportation were Steamboats. Canals, Roads, and Turnpikes. According to page 389, it had stated that Turnpikes are also known as toll roads, these roads were used for travel and the shipment of goods, so as a result many private companies had built these Turnpikes. Based on page 392, it says that, Canals are artificial waterways that were made by man.
Primary Source Knowledge Through the late 1800s and early 1900s, Americans began to see many changes in transportation. In the 1800s, most Americans lived near the shoreline in order to travel by boat, as this was the quickest form of transportation and there were limited forms of land transportation. Families could travel by horse drawn carriage, but the roads were rough and difficult to travel on.
Transportation During the Revolutionary War Transporting goods and supplies took a lot of time to arrive at its destination. transportation they mostly used were wagons or ships. An example of this is when the tea brought to the colonists were brought by the east india company was carried on boat. Lots of the supply routes were known so they got raided or attacked for their valuable goods. Transportation was important in American Revolution by transporting useful goods,food,supplies,weapons anything that would help out the troops and townspeople of that colonies.
As the unemployment rate began to decrease and the factories became numerous, transportation improved and became an important part of America's lifestyle. Technology was updated and improved which greatly benefited transportation systems, as it allowed electric street cars, commuter trains, and subways to travel around America's major cities and transport workers who lived outside the cities to the factories (Lapsansky-Werner, Levy, Roberts, Taylor 104). By 1883, there were three transcontinental railroads spread around the U.S., but as the transportation systems began expanding, there was a barrier that made it difficult to set schedules. At the time, most of the cities and towns independently set their clocks, thus, the time Schulte v.
The 1840s and 50s were full of economical and societal advances. Such as new and improved forms of transportation. In the 1840s, a revolutionary breakthrough occurred—a new form of communication that was called a telegraph. Communicating through telegraph was almost instantaneous; it allowed people to talk to each other faster than a letter. In 1844, Samuel F. B. Morse sent the very first telegraph.
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.
Back in pre-Civil War times there were several modes of transportation created. This started to make life easier for people, they could send things, buy goods and travel far more than they used to. The definition of transportation is “means of conveyance or travel from one place to another (Transportation, 2017).” Transportation had a role in the Civil War that greatly defined the United States’ desire for change. The United States was starting to become a country that revolutionized quickly and made machines to progress with the pace of time.
Transportation has also changed a lot throughout the years. Back then, cars looked like blocks but now we have cars that can drive itself. It’s crazy how much the world changed. Transportation has also affected the relationship between our parents. 7 or 8 years ago our parents would always drive their children everywhere, if we needed a drive.
