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Why Was Railroads Important To The Economy In The Late Nineteenth Century

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Throughout the nineteenth century during the industrial revolution, transportation improvements benefited the economy in America in various ways. Railroads quickly took precedence in the United Sates; they were faster and more reliable than other transportation mode. After the construction of trains in the East, they rapidly spread to the Pacific Ocean. Railroads brought numerous benefits to the economy and the market. In the 1800s, railroads profited the economy in the United States by providing easier access to the western United States, reducing shipping time and cost, and expanding industries.
The construction of railroads in the western United States made the West more accessible. People realized that without the railroad, western land would be unreachable …show more content…

The population in western regions grew exponentially after the construction of railroads. For example, Chicago’s population tripled from 1850 to 1860, and railroads were the main reason for the city’s population growth. By 1852, a large percentage of Chicago’s wheat was arriving by trains. The railroads passing through Chicago made the city commercially important to the economy. A Chicago newspaper said that railroads are important to the success of a city; without railroads, a city would not be able to compete with railroad cities (Dreyfus 1). As the transcontinental railroad stretched to the Pacific Ocean, numerous towns grew along the railroad. Railroad businesses sold land in the railroad towns to enterprising people moving west, and as a result, the towns grew rapidly (Hudson 42). Also, trains were instrumental in the settlement of Nebraska and other western states. Railroads quickened the settlement of Nebraska and were one of the main methods that led people to move to Nebraska (Berens and Mitchell 287). Western railroads influenced the growth of cities and states in the western United

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3. Despite the initial sentiment of economic historians, the railroad was not an integral part of American economic development after 1860. Even though the railroads were not crucial to economic growth does not negate the fact that the railroads were the first big business in the United States. The railroads benefited from economies of scale, increases in technology and pro-railroad legislation. The miles of track line increased exponentially from 30,000 miles of main line track in 1860 to 254,037 miles by 1916.

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From 1865 to 1900 agriculture was at war, shifting from small, individual farms to larger commercialized farms because of the devaluing of currency, competition from corporate farms with more land and better technology, and government policies that proved detrimental to those clinging to old ways of life. To escape debt and seek profit in new lands, many farmers started working westward but so did corporations looking to expand. Because of westward expansion, companies like the union pacific railroad company built railroads that connected lands all across the U.S. and earned 10 miles of land in either direction of the railroad. This land put the railroad in control of many western lands and in control of the prices of land, travel and resource transportation.

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American History Assignment #8 How Railroads Changed America How did railroads become key to the Industrial Revolution? – use specific examples Long range significance of the railroads The railroads became a major breakthrough for America during the Industrial Revolution, due to the fact the railroads could move large quantities of products more rapidly than boats and horses could during that time period. This was especially important for businesses, since they are and always will be about time and money. The railroads became one of the key elements in the national transportation network for people and products, since railroad tracks could be built almost anywhere and rapidly.

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Manifest Destiny brought an age of expansion and exploration upon the United States throughout the 1800s. The vast Great Plains were unexplored, and held lots of promise and opportunity for new communities and businesses. With the establishment of the railroad system, transportation became much more reliable and efficient, sending a wave of settlers to the West. Railroad companies also posted many advertisements that encouraged settlers to buy plots of land for reasonable prices. The railroad during this time played a key role in Western Expansion by giving people access to fertile and open land, uniting communities together, and lowering transportation costs, but inflicted cruel treatment on those who worked on the railroads.

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The transcontinental railroad improved transportation by increasing supply and demand, and connecting people in the United States. Before the railroad,

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The necessity of supplies from the established communities in the eastern United States kept new cities closely tied to their supply lines. The lengthening of supply lines by railroads facilitated the western expansion. In addition to its direct impact on movement of supplies and people to developing communities, the railroads were a source of hope for expanding and quickening trade with foreign lands. Connecting the coasts was thought to be a means for improving trade with Asian countries, which coincided well with the imperial trends of the time. Despite limitations provided by lack of agriculture, hostile natives, and territorial status of western lands, it was the lack of railroads and the solution to this paucity that dictated the western edge of American presence on the

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The Transcontinental Railroad transformed the United States socially by allowing people to travel across the country, bringing people together, and beginning discrimination against the Chinese. The first way that the Transcontinental Railroad transformed the United States is by allowing people to travel across the country. Many ads invited “tourists and pleasure seekers” to use the Transcontinental Railroad to see mountains, valley, lakes, and more attractions (Doc G). Before the Transcontinental Railroad, it was difficult and dangerous to travel away from home, but the railroads made it easy, safe, and convenient to explore the country.

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The transcontinental railroad became important to westward expansion for obvious reason; it made travel to the west quicker,

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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.

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The impact of railroads on Iowa and the United States was profound. They helped to spur economic growth in the state. Railroads made it easier and cheaper to transport goods across the country, which in turn made

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“In 1820, about 58 towns more than 2500 inhabitants; by 1840, there were 126 such towns, located mostly in the Midwest and Northeast.” The fastest growth occurring in areas were near canals, railroads, and roads because of the easy access of raw and manufactured materials. Toward the later 19th century, the settlers began to move west for cheaper property because the land inhabited near the town built around transportation was getting

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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

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The railroads were also being regulated by the government so the people did not have to pay as much. The federal government made the prices reasonable to afford and it was easier to make a living in the West (Interstate Commerce

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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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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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