How Did The Railroad Develop The West

The railroad was vital in the setting of the west for the American people. The Pacific Railway Act gave the American people a much easier way of travel to the east. This made it more likely for large families to participate in the expansion due to the lack of hardship that many encountered during the Oregon Trail. The Act gave the Union Pacific Railroad the expansion from Nebraska west, while the Central Pacific Railroad moved from California east. Thus, the first railroad was completed when the two companies finally connected in Promontory Point, Utah in spring 1869.

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

Along with the westward development, the Transcendental Railroad fueled economic growth and began to change the industrial

The Transcontinental Railroad The completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad was an important event in the United States history. There were many challenges in building it, but after it was finished, it connected the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast. The railroad took three whole years to build, with the help of two railroad companies and thousands of other hired workers.

This was needed so people would be able to know when their train was coming and going and so trains could stop crashing (Daniel K. Boorstin). The transcontinental railroad began developing in 1862 which was a connection of railroads that connected the union pacific to the central pacific and met up in Utah. These were the results of the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 (Pacific Railway Act). The third way the west was able to develop was through its new opportunities that resulted from it.

In 1800, more than two-thirds of the American people lived on the east coast and had no contact with anyone in the West. However, the development of transportation routes over land led to a huge population boom in the West. By 1845, more than half of the United States population were living in the West (washingtonpost.com). The introduction of railroads essentially solved all the transportation problems that the United States had by connecting the east coast to the west

Before the Civil War By 1835, thousands of miles of railroad tracks had been laid down in the eastern United States. New towns and factories began to pop up at train stops. Trains made it easy and cheap to transport goods. The Native Americans did not like the railroads.

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.

The transcontinental railroad were tracks that started in the east and branched out all the way to to California. This railroad saved many settlers the long and dangerous trek from one side of the country to the

The similarities between the east and west didn’t stop there, with the introduction of the railroad the west became a booming place for business. A lot of smart business men saw this potential and jumped on it just as they had building huge manufacturing plants on the east coast they bought up land to create mega ranches that eventually put a lot of the smaller farms out of

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.

The Tremendous Impact of Railroads on America In the late 19th century, railroads propelled America into an era of unprecedented growth, prosperity, and convenient transportation. Prior to the building of the railroads, America lacked the proper and rapid transportation to make traveling across the country economical or practical. Lengthy travel was often cumbersome, costly, and dangerous.

According to the article The Railway Journey, modern transportation “created a definite spatial distance between the places of production and the place of consumption did the goods become uprooted commodities” (40 Railroad Journey). Basically, this means that since the railroad allowed goods to be shipped to further distances at faster rates which resulted in mass productions and shipments of goods which resulted in a stable economy for the United

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.

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.