How Did The Transcontinental Railroad Affect The Us
Impact of Railroads on the United States During the mid 1800’s, several inventions and industrial improvements were made that would change life in the United States forever. One of the greatest improvements was that of the railroad. The first documented American railway, which was horse powered, began operating in the year 1810 (Wilson, Pg 20). However, with the invention of the steam engine applied to this concept, the railroad became the quickest and most efficient mode of transportation available. Still, the railroads were just short lines, “connecting city to city, or region to region” (History Alive). However, the creation of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 made it possible to link the nation from sea to sea. The improvement of
…show more content…
The construction of railroad lines often costed more money than the “railroad barons” could afford to spend. To encourage railroad construction, the government gave land grants to railroad companies. These companies would then “sell the land to settlers and other businesses” (Ch 3 Sec 2) in order to get the money that they needed to continue construction. With vast amounts of land ready to settle nearby the railroads, a scramble began to inhabit the frontier. Merchants searched for and purchased the most beneficial market locations while consumers settled in areas where they could find the best variety of goods. In addition to merchants and consumers, the Transcontinental Railroad made it easy for entire families to move west without a fear of children or the elderly becoming ill. These factors helped the West, as well as towns along the railroads, to flourish and become new markets for goods to be exchanged. The evolution of the railroad turned prolonged and difficult travel into a thing of the past. From the early beginnings of the horse railway, to the steam-powered Transcontinental Railroad, railroad enhancements changed the way that Americans operate forever. Through gradual increases and new ideas, the railroad improved travel, stimulated the economy, and motivated settlement in the
The construction of railroad lines often costed more money than the “railroad barons” could afford to spend. To encourage railroad construction, the government gave land grants to railroad companies. These companies would then “sell the land to settlers and other businesses” (Ch 3 Sec 2) in order to get the money that they needed to continue construction. With vast amounts of land ready to settle nearby the railroads, a scramble began to inhabit the frontier. Merchants searched for and purchased the most beneficial market locations while consumers settled in areas where they could find the best variety of goods. In addition to merchants and consumers, the Transcontinental Railroad made it easy for entire families to move west without a fear of children or the elderly becoming ill. These factors helped the West, as well as towns along the railroads, to flourish and become new markets for goods to be exchanged. The evolution of the railroad turned prolonged and difficult travel into a thing of the past. From the early beginnings of the horse railway, to the steam-powered Transcontinental Railroad, railroad enhancements changed the way that Americans operate forever. Through gradual increases and new ideas, the railroad improved travel, stimulated the economy, and motivated settlement in the