Three Inventions That Changed America And Transportation

Three inventions that changed America and transportation forever were the steamboat, the Conestoga wagon, and the railroad,because they each influenced the United States by transforming revolutionized and encouraging expansion. The steamboat shortened the amount of time of water travel and took away the reliance on the elements from water travel. The Conestoga wagons specific design changed the way future wagon were built and the way settlers travelled by land. Finally, railroads were a later advancement to land travel, because they were quicker than horse drawn wagons. All of these inventions helped the United States expand from coast to coast, into what is now the USA.

Because New York had uneven terrain, water travel was faster than land

a graceful covered wagon designed for the passage of soft prairie soil and was the first wagon to ever travel west” (“Carriages”). The Conestoga wagon was practically designed for the western soil and was the inspiration for many other wagons after it. The Conestoga wagon was covered in white fabric that was stretched over hoops to prevent the contents from harm by the weather (“Conestoga Wagon” history.com). Because of the wagons protective covering, goods and belongings were not harmed by the weather and were not jostled because of the boat like shape. “The transportation of farm produce was simplified by the development of the Conestoga wagon; a boat shaped, broad wheeled wagon, manufactured in Conestoga, Pennsylvania, capable of carrying a six-ton cargo.” (“Agriculture”). The wagon could hold large amounts of mass so moving west would be easier because it was possible for Americans to bring all of their belongings. The conestoga wagon stopped being manufactured in 1861 and was replaced by the railroad (“Conestoga Wagon”

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first railroad to chart freight and passengers in 1828. (“Railroads”). Very soon after railroads were invented they transported passengers in addition. “ Railroads proliferated so quickly that within 40 years, they extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific and into every settled corner of the land” (“Transportation”). Railroads made cities near where the stops were, and with the mass amount of railroad tracks being built at the time, many new cities were built. The first trains were extremely uncomfortable for passengers, because smoke and cinder blew in the faces of the passengers, though it was the preferred form of transportation due to its faster speed (“Railroads of the 1800s”). Both railroads and steamboats were alike because they were uncomfortable for the passenger, but because they were quicker they were prefered, and soon were all over the