The Transcontinental Railroad System

Abstract In what ways, and to what extent, did the transcontinental railroad system in the 19th century affect development of the American industrial economy, and the social prosperity of the people and workers? This is the question that this essay will answer, diving deep into the effect of the railroads to the industrial economy and how that affected the social setting of the typical American life from the first trains to be built in the 1830s, and its life cycle until around the 1870s. Examining the extent to which railroads affected the industrial economy, they played a major role in the transportation and overall speed and efficiency in producing products and getting them to their buyers. This in turn, allowed for many jobs, thus growing
“Easier transcontinental business travel allowed direct growth through expanding markets and cheaper distribution, as well as increased possibilities for partnerships and exchange of ideas. This movement between coasts allowed for business professionals to have a more expansive idea of their industry and allowed improved access to information and skills.”. This improvement drastically changed how information systems have been diffused throughout the country, allowing for many individuals to carry their intelligence elsewhere and expand the market for production in the industries. Railroads allowed for cheaper transportation, leading to producers to release their products to the buyers, giving them more profits to expand business and allow for growth in the industrial economy. In the first ten years of the transcontinental business, it was shipping about $50 million worth of freight every year; “resources had faster transport to industrial settings, thus speeding up the process of making goods.”. This speeding up of making products also caused many jobs to be open, as the producers look for people to hire and do the work in order produce at the fastest rate and transport them through railroads to the buyers as quickly as they could, maximizing efficiency, thus maximizing overall revenue and
One of which, was the treatment of the Native Americans and their land. “The forced relocation of Native Americans from their lands resulted in widespread destruction of Native American cultures and ways of life. Many conflicts arose as the railroad project continued westward, and the military was brought in to fight Native American tribes.”. This proved to be a continuous trend throughout the history of these railroads; the white immigrants from Europe showing complete dominance over the Natives, whom which would rarely counter attack. “Indian efforts to block or retard railroads were extremely seldom. Warriors occasionally harassed surveyors, and in the summer of 1867 a party of Cheyennes on impulse derailed a train in Nebraska, killed several trainmen, and rode off with some plunder. Sending the locomotive off its tracks had been remarkably easy, yet there is no record of other such attacks. The advance of this great transforming force happened virtually unimpeded by those who had the most reason to resist