Transportation In The Gilded Age

There have been steam engine trains trailing the United States in the early 1800’s. Many of the early ones ran only a few dozen miles. When the railways ran longer distances, the cost to build and later ride them were be extremely high. However, long distances were what Minnesota needed to keep up with the competitive and growing nation around it. “Construction began on the first track in 1861 in St. Paul and was completed in 1862.”

For an example, roads, waterways, railroads, and steamboats were being created. The industry started to change due to more factories being opened.

Humans can rely on steamboats and railroads across oceans and continents, to compatriots around the world and telegraph communication. According to the textbook, to many economic historians, railroads were the “most important factor in promoting European economic progress in the 1830s and 1840s” (p.608). Presently, railroads are still the world's most

One major industry during this time period was found in the railroad. The of course was also considered the center of national or both financial and political corruption (White, 21). While transcontinental railroads were essential developments for the growth of the United

In the 19th century, individuals became incredibly wealthy due to the rapid expansion of railroads throughout the United States. These railroad tycoons amassed fortunes by investing in and controlling the transportation industry. The development of railroads allowed for faster and more efficient transportation of goods and people, ultimately leading to the growth of cities and industries across the country. There is no denying the significant impact these individuals had on American history and the economy. Cornelius Vanderbilt, also known as the "Commodore," was a prominent figure in American business during the 19th century.

By the early 1800’s America began transitioning from an agriculture based economy to industrial production. After Thomas Jefferson's’ Embargo Act of 1807 that cut off all exports from the United States, domestic production boomed. Americans were forced to depend solely on themselves, developing economic independence. Inventions such as Eli Whitney’s cotton gin and railroads lead to industrial production and textiles. By 1815 there were hundreds of textile mills, spurring the growth of the Lowell factory system.

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

At the turn of the 20th century, America was in the midst of a new era of growth. During the Second Industrial Revolution, millions of Americans saw the rise in technological innovation and the corporation. Those who made it rich in America did so by mass producing goods, like Andrew Carnegie and steel. In New York City, the arrival of thousands of immigrants per day allowed a labor-intensive industry to prop up among a land restricted area. With new inventions and ways to manufacture goods, mass amounts of cheap labor, and a pro-business government the economic conditions involving the garment industry in New York City during the Second Industrial Revolution was one of major, but sometimes volatile, growth with mass inequality.

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 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.

The Industrial Revolution has changed America in many ways, some good and some bad. The most important changes that brought about the Industrial Revolution were the invention of machines to do the work of hand tools, the use of steam, and later of other kinds of power, in place of the muscle of human beings and animals, and the adoption of the factory system. In my opinion the Industrial Revolution has done more good for America than it has done harm. In the beginning of the Industrial Revolution there weren’t many laws that governed the industries.

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 major decline in railroad transportation during the 1950’s was primarily due to the vast construction of interstate highway by the government. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 authorized the vast construction of 41,000 miles of roadway with a steep price of 25 billion dollars that would come from taxpayer money. With the increase in air and road travel, the need to travel by rail, in a less direct route, seemed unnecessary. This would ultimately leave railroad companies to believe traveling by rail was in a permanent decline. On February 18, 1947, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) formally announced that they were operating at a loss.

This graph of the early forms of transportation in the United States fascinates me because it gives a timeline as to when transportation entered the economy, while also showing the efficiency of price dropping within transportation during these times. Specialization provokes revolutions in markets and transport. The westward push along with land sales, are making the country larger. New forms of transportation are needed to reach these new parts.

The story about the Streetcar Conspiracy states that the death of the electric streetcars is no accident. Many people believe, between 1938-1950, General Motors’(GM) conspired with other companies, including Standard Oil and Firestone Tire’s, to put an end to electric streetcars. During this time, electric streetcars were a popular method of transportation, but GM wanted it gone so they could sell diesel and gasoline buses instead. The urban legend states that, GM began purchasing streetcar lines, then shutting them down, and not long after advertising a trend away from them. Thus, leaving 90 percent of the population without transportation options.