The Unification Of America Dbq Questions And Answers

The Unification of America Through The Transportation Revolution

By Robert Beckman From the period 1800 to 1860, many transportation innovations were made as America continued to advance technologically. This period of time was aptly named the transportation revolution as many of the innovations developed in this era laid the foundation of modern infrastructure which supports 360 million Americans each day. The construction of vast road networks and the national road, the invention of the steamboat to transport goods upstream and through canals, and the massive expansion of the railroad system all furthered the unity of the United States by allowing much faster transportation to remote areas of America. Despite political differences, faster

The roads of a country can be related to the veins and arteries as they allow the connection of the major organs which would be major cities and ports. Without road infrastructure, a country is considered undeveloped and poorly built. The national road, also called the Cumberland road, was a road that stretched from Vandalia, Illinois to Cumberland, Maryland. Vandalia was the capital of Illinois at the time. This road stretching from east to west not only promoted immigration but also connected the markets of the east and west. The speculation that the east and west would differ in interests because of their lack of trade and connection was squashed as quick and cheap transportation (relative to the time) is one the strongest bonds one can create (Doc. 1). The national road enabled people to quickly move west as they would no longer have to move through treacherous and unmarked terrain. Once arriving in the west, they would meet other settlers from parts all over the US which directly promoted unification as they would be forced to work together in this new environment. Although the country may be split along political lines such as slavery, almost no one in the country questioned the creation of the national road

The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 was of the greatest engineering feats in history, at the time. The 363-mile canal allowed trade between New York and the Great Lakes. The economic boost of the Erie Canal was immediately felt by the entire country as someone could transport goods from the Great Lakes to New York in half the time and one-tenth of the cost. This feat saved Americans an unprecedented amount of money as the Erie Canal is still used today, nearly 200 years later. This massive project not only enabled much faster transportation but also attracted an influx of farmers to the area. The Erie Canal opened up many opportunities as massive amounts of people started immigrating towards it. The canal caused the creation of cities such as Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse as the canal was along the cities’ paths. The Erie Canal was seen as a miraculous fertilizer as it caused towns to quickly spring up. The massive success of the Erie Canal set off a chain reaction that caused many other states to start creating canals of their own, which in turn fostered economic growth, as states invested in their people by investing in infrastructure. Before the invention of the steamboat, many rivers were seen as one-way streets because boats could go upstream as they were unable to fight against the current. With the power of the steam engine, boats could