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Railroad Workers Benefits

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Many people did not want to work for the railroads. There was much danger associated with this job. The most dangerous job for workers was the brakeman. The Brakeman rode on top of the trains and jumped down pushing a larger wooden stick into the spokes of the wheels to slow it down until it stopped. This was an extremely dangerous job and was stopped once the air brakes were invented. Another negative part of the railroad workers was the lack of payment that they received. Railroad workers made barely two dollars for a twelve-hour day. The harsh work, low pay and long days led to many angry workers that went on strike several times. The largest strike was in Baltimore and Ohio. The strikes spread to West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania …show more content…

The south did not use the railroads much, but the north depended greatly on them. Due to the Government relying on the railroads in the north, the importance of the railroads stood out. The railroads were used to carry large quantities of troops to battles faster and cheaper. This gave the north an advantage because of their response time to certain battles. Speed was the main advantage. They were able to quickly move soldiers from one battle to another much faster than before. The government’s reliance on the railroads grew even stronger once World War I began. The government used the railroads to organize military operations and to navigate soldiers and generals to where they needed to go. This allowed them to be much more organized in their work and get all of the support that they needed. By the time that the Second World War started, locomotives had made many advancements. They became faster and more powerful. Diesel engines were created and passenger cars had improvements. These passenger cars were no longer wooden and had air conditioning by 1929. The railroads had made so many improvements that during World War II the government did not need to seize the railroads because of how fast the locomotives were operating. This cleared out the railroads and allowed the military to use them for whatever they …show more content…

When the Baltimore and Ohio railroad opened as the first American railroad, a national revolution began. The opportunities that train travel gave to America allowed large growth from city to city. These railroads were built thanks to the determination of people who believed that they could make America better. The railroads advanced so greatly, they surpassed all of Europe’s systems of transportation. These railroads created ease in everything from transporting merchandise to travel to working out wars. They connected the nation by every town and allowed every commoner to be able to travel outside of their home. Thanks to the Railroads, America has been allowed to grow to the extent that it has gotten to

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848 Words | 4 Pages

Even though the railroad existed before the great division between the north and the south and it mainly contributed in providing goods for both sides, the invention of the railroad greatly contributed to the civil war. The first railroad created in the US was in 1827 and their major role was to transport goods from the North to the South and back. As slaves became more abundant in the South and less present in the North a war began on the idea of slavery. The railroad caused this Civil War by bringing goods to only one side and keeping their advantage. It went from having different point of views to all out battles that started with starvation and isolation, but led to death and separation.

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1257 Words | 6 Pages

Amid the invention and introductions to the world in the 1800’s especially in the United States, there was a demand for railroads to make traversing the Country easier. They needed a fast way to transport people and goods all around the country, especially between major cities, a great example of this being accomplished is the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. On account of the demand of railroads, there was also a demand for people to work on and build the railroads throughout the country. Railroad work opened up an abundant amount of jobs all around the country which was positive for the nation, but for the people working it was a very physically intensive job and low paying.

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1080 Words | 5 Pages

The rail system allowed people and manufactured goods to be transported quickly and for long distances. This was significant for who had migrated due to the discovery of resources such as iron and gold (Railroads and Westward Expansion,

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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.

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1430 Words | 6 Pages

This was to let steamboats, a new form of transportation, to deliver goods to the states bordering the rivers and lakes they travelled on. Rails was also one of the largest forms of transportation in the North. Steam-powered trains were used to carry passengers and goods to anywhere that track was

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412 Words | 2 Pages

Completed in 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad opened new doors for the United States. In order for this to happen though, some had to be closed. Our country was in desperate need on some of these changes, but some we could have lived without. This great connection of the coasts brought with it many positive and negative effects on the Native Americans, society, and the environment.

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1531 Words | 7 Pages

Innovative ideas and technologies in transportation significantly impacted the America during, and after the Civil War. The Civil War was also drastically changed due to the amazing discoveries and innovations in transportation. Railroads were what was mainly used to supply America with munitions, troops, food, and etc. during the Civil War. America benefited from the invention of the railroad due to the ease of use for every American.

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546 Words | 3 Pages

The Transcontinental Railroad played a significant role in the settlement of the American West. As of May 10th, 1869, this railroad became the area’s newest and fastest mode of transportation. Its first obligation was to bring settlers in at very low cost, and, sometimes, even free of charge. The types of people that began to migrate West were those who were searching for a better life. One which contains less poverty and more opportunities.

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478 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout American History, revolutions in transportation have affected the American society politically, socially and economically. Soon after the war of 1812, American nationalism increased which leads to a greater emphasis on national issues, the increase in power and prevalence of the national government and a growing sense of the American Identity. Railways, canals, and Turnpikes began to increase making many people employed. The era of 1830-1860 represents a shift from agrarianism to industrialism. Overall, during the transportation revolution, construction of turnpikes, roads, canals, and railroads led to the market economy expansion, an increased population in America and alternations of the physical landscape of America.

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891 Words | 4 Pages

In 1694, Thomas Savery invented what would revolutionize the united states indefinitely, he called it the steam engine. This invention lead to the first steam engine locomotive which many would say was a beneficial turning point in the industrialization of america’s economy,allowing the steam engine to be used on the railways. Although the railroads did impact the United States and certain groups in positive ways,there were also negative effects that occurred. During this time period, there were many chinese immigrants that entered the United States who made up most of the workers that built the tracks.

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791 Words | 4 Pages

The War Between the States was one of America’s greatest wars—it was the fight for freedom, but it also impacted the economy. Because of this, America’s labor and transportation systems both took a significant turn during the Civil War, impacting America’s economy forever. In the end, the American Civil War greatly benefitted our transportation system, but devastated the South’s labor force. For a war to be fought strategically well, there first must be a form of simple, yet speedy, transportation. That is where the transcontinental railroad came in.

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407 Words | 2 Pages

The greatest cultural conflict between the years 1865 and 1898 was the Transcontinental Railroad. The Transcontinental Railroad was a railway stretching from “sea to shining sea”. It was built by two teams of workers, the Central Pacific Railroad Company starting in Sacramento and the Union Pacific Railroad building west from the Missouri River. The teams worked day and night to connect the two ends in Promontory Summit, Utah. The Transcontinental Railroad was a major breakthrough in the connection of markets and the transportation of goods and people from coast to coast.

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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.

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821 Words | 4 Pages

With the advent of the railroad, many of these issues disappeared. Railroads had a major impact on advancing the American economy, transforming America into a modern society, and improving an antiquated transportation system. The building of railroads created rapid economic growth in America. Railroad companies employed more than one million workers to build and maintain railroads. At the same time, coal, timber, and steel industries employed thousands of workers to provide the supplies necessary to build railroads (Chapter 12 Industrialization).

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307 Words | 2 Pages

The Effects of the Transcontinental Railroad: Native Americans, Society, and Economy The Transcontinental Railroad had a drastic effects on many aspects of life during the 1860s, including society, the economy, and the Native Americans’ way of life. These are just a few of the ways the Transcontinental Railroad changed the world. Native Americans were forced to relocate, society had a new outlook on life, and the economy had been boosted almost incalculably.

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