What Impact Did The Railroad Have On The Economy Essay

How did railroads impact America after the Civil War? Throughout history, transportation has helped move people and materials around in civilizations. Transportation has enabled the growth of cities and has further increased the development of complex societies. A method of transportation widely used is the system of railroads; before cars and airplanes became popular, trains dominated passenger and freight services due to their simplicity and business versatility.

During the Gilded Age, many fortunes were made by the railroad system. The increased construction of railroads provided the transportation of people, supplies, and trading goods. The movement of people from the east to the west allowed for increased populations and the spread of their culture. The railroad system provided a service that could quickly and cheaply move supplies across America. The Manifest Destiny was also fueled by the railroad system in the sense that Americans felt it was their duty to spread the knowledge and teach other races.

Perhaps, one of the greatest negatives is the fact that railroads were owned by Big Businessman who had a say in everything. For example in Document B it is shown that an owner of a railroad company has complete control of their industry and could affect many people’s lives. As Document B states, He alone “can control legislative bodies, dictate legislation, subsidize the press and corrupt the moral sense of the communities.” People like this did not have positive impact on their community. It was their way or the highway, no if and, or

The expansion of the railroads enhanced the lives of Americans in many ways, this includes supplying materials across the country. The railroads aloud for items to be moved across the country very fast. Although the expansion of railroads did enhance the lives of Americans, some building the railroads were not so lucky to see its benefits. Building the railroads came with many hazards from the climate to explosions. Not only was the railroad dangerous, it also caused other problems.

In 1830 the Baltimore and Ohio railroad tested a steam powered train this lead to Americans developing their own railroads.(pg. 256) Railroads helped transport goods and people move across the country faster than ever before. Railroads were used for many other things including transporting mail from one place to another. This helped people communicate with one another faster. By 1810 and 1820’s the number of letters delivered sent out went up by five million annually and cut the time in half to reach between cities and states.

The steam engine and locomotive had major effects on europian economy, and society. Some were good, and some were bad, as these major technological breakthroughs transformed European Society. Even today economics are present due to the impact peter coopers inventions had back then, which is why they are such big turning points in history. The railroad rapidly spread and quickly improved transportation by making it much faster. The railroad created new jobs, which made people have to move to the cities of london to find work.

Railroads, roads, and canals changed and improved America in the 1800’s in multiple ways, ways including exploration and expansion. Railroads and roads both helped travel and transportation of objects within America. Railroads and roads also helped get from one point to another in a fraction of the time. Canals helped mainly transportation with other countries and travel time that would accelerate how fast it took a ship to get to it’s destination. Roads helped expansion and exploration.

It changed the time it took to travel from the east coast to the west coast from a few months to a week. This transcontinental rail road brought a more civilized life to the west and helped the surge of immigrants heading west. This rail road also lead to a huge boom in agricultural trade from the national level all the way to the global

The Transcontinental Railroad played a pivotal role in western expansion, making transportation from one end of the country to the other convenient and timely. However, the making of the Transcontinental Railroad affected many aspects other than transportation, such as: the Native Americans and their homeland, the economy of the U.S., and the citizens of America as a whole. Though the railroad can be credited with business growth and linking the country together, some of the events of building the acclaimed railroad adversely affected the country. The most effective way to prevent repeating the same mistakes is to review why they were mistakes in the first place.

The railroads helped make westward expansion possible and much easier. The skyscrapers allowed more homes in cities to exist which led to more citizens to move into town, in search of job opportunities. All of which wouldn't had been

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).

According to Joseph Adamczyk, “That year the country was in the fourth year of a prolonged economic depression after the panic of 1873” (Adamczyk). The invention of the railroad changed everything. It was the beginning of a new era. The railroad was a new way to transport goods, materials, and people.

Business owners made lots of money from the railroads because they were able to transport goods farther and faster with ease. Although the railroads tremendously impacted businesses and therefore the economy, the native americans were negatively impacted because the railroads were being laid on “their” land. This caused distrust between the settlers and the natives because of the “disrespect” for the land. Because of the new ways of transportation, the industrial revolution took place causing skilled artisans to be replaced by unskilled workers that used large complex machines.

Steam Locomotive Impact on American Industrial Revolution Imagine a world where the fastest means of transportation is riding horseback. Without the steam locomotive, that's how life would be. The steam locomotive is a steam train that revolutionized transportation on railways. Despite originating in Britain, railways made a lasting impact in America. The steam locomotive was a major part in the American industrial revolution making transportation easier, cheaper, and faster.

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.