Steamboats In The 1800s: Improvement Of Transportation

The invention of railroads changed America's economics because it allowed for high volume of goods to be transported. The cost of traveling and shipping was also much cheaper. Before railroads, people would travel by boat for about $1,500. When railroads began their operation, the cost drastically reduced to $150. Traveling the railroad was more comfortable and people were not as susceptible to contact yellow fever that was rampant.

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.

The Impact of the Underground Railroad in American History To begin, when the topic of American history is brought up, people do not tend to bring up slavery and how it has impacted our country by once splitting it into two. Instead they bring up how our country gives independence and freedom to its citizens. This was not always the case, though in 1619 the first slaves were brought to Virginia by the Dutch to help boost production of tobacco and other important crops. These African American people were kidnapped and made to join the impoverished European people of the colony in working for wealthy colonists. The agreement when slavery first began was that if you worked for seven years you would gain freedom along with your own plot of

Robert Fulton was an American engineer who created the first successful steamboat. His first steamboat was originally called the North River Steamboat, but later it was called the Clermont. This steamboat was able to carry passengers between New York City and Albany. Fulton also designed the world's first steam powered warship.

The establishment and growth of the railroad had many influences on the Westward Expansion of America in the later half of the 1800’s. The railroad fueled the conflict with the Native Americans of the Plains, induced growth in population and economy in previously established urban areas, and lastly expanded the lands that were used for agriculture. The railroad affected various aspects of America’s West and the Great Plains. The advancement of the railroad West added to the already tense relationship with the Native Americans of the Plains.

Cars have been around since the 1800's. Cars play an important role to a lot of people's daily life style. Without cars transportation would only be by trains. With the creation of the car people could go on vacation a lot more than what they did before.

By the 1860’s more than half of the American population was located west of the Appalachian Mountains. This area was known as the Far West or as many nineteenth century Americans called it, “The Great West.” This migration of people was caused by the West’s connection to political, transportation, and financial progress. All three of these aspects were extremely important in American migration to the Great West and they helped shape the structure for America as it is today. The Political need for new classes caused by industrialism and abolition of slavery, the opening of jobs and new business involving financial situations and the boost of transportation that would expand almost everything.

The Underground Railroad. A metaphor as it was, it was neither a railroad nor was it even underground. In the time where slavery became a divided issue with the status of legality in various parts of the country, the underground railroad found its beginnings through collective organized efforts from abolitionists and allies alike to help enslaved African americans to escape to territories and states where they could be free from slavery. It was a loosely-developed system that also included series of routes led by “conductors” such as Harriet Tubman, for escaping slaves, or “passengers”.

Horses and wagons were used prior to the revolution of transportation in America. In the late 18th century, while Americans were slowly moving west, transportation was important and at the time very risky. Westward expansion was not only difficult because of the use of horses and wagons and the demands that were needed to maintain them, but because of the duration of time that it took to travel across the land. The Transportation Revolution of the 19th century didn’t have an impact on society because Americans already had other forms of transportation. However it put an end dramatically to the isolation of western lands and encouraged the growth of commercial economy.

Around 1750 an advancement in human productivity also known as the Industrial Revolution began. During the Industrial Revolution the intensive use of labour in factories along side agriculture outputs and health created a steep rise in population. With the rapid movement of people, goods and information across the oceans and continents a truly global economy was created. The Industrial Revolution began in Britain and during this time Britain developed many different objects. However, the steam engine was one of the most impressive ones.

The steam engine, invented in 1698, was not put too much use until the 1760’s. Even so they weren’t too good for anything until the they were used in steamboats. Steamboats could travel up river! This was something unheard of in the 1800’s. people could save money and time!

The Erie Canal is located in New York, and ran from Buffalo on Lake Erie to Albany on the Hudson River. It provided a navigable water link from New York City to the Atlantic Coast. This great invention leads to a historic explosion in the market of commerce, ideas and technology. It marked the beginning of what later became known as the Industrial Revolution. The building of the canal, was completed in October of the year 1825.