It’s difficult to imagine a world without automobiles. It seems that everything we do these days would be nearly impossible to accomplish without them. However, before the Model-T ushered in the era of the automobile, railroads were paving the way for intense change. The second half of the nineteenth century was a time of crucial development in the United States—from reuniting a divided country to rapid industrialization—and railroads connected all the dots.
Extensive railroad construction in the 1800s laid an important foundation for the establishment of cross-country transportation systems. On May 10th, 1869 the Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory Point. This moment was pivotal in the industrial development of America. Once this railroad—spanning the 1,907 miles from Iowa to San Francisco—was completed, westward expansion became increasingly more feasible. This railroad also increased the efficiency of interstate commerce and trading, and allowed America to develop a national economy.
The rapid development of an internal transportation system all across the country allowed for increased diversification of our economy. Transportation of goods was faster and cheaper than ever before, and more and more people were able to travel west to settle new lands. The development of these new lands allowed industrialization to take hold, and manufacturing increased as a result. Without that manufacturing, the eventual development of the automobile would have been considerably delayed.
Not only did the construction of the railroads facilitate important economic change, it also caused considerable change among laborers. Labor unions became an influential force in American life, as many of the industrial workers—including railroad workers—demanded better working conditions and pay. These early labor unions set the stage for future unionization efforts that were extremely important to employees in the automobile industry, such as the formation of the UAW.
The development of the railroads in the mid to late 1800s was essential to the economic and industrial development of the United States, and it laid the groundwork for the creation of national highway systems, as well as encouraged advancements in new forms of transportation.
Citations:
Fishlow, Albert. "The Long Nineteenth Century." The Cambridge Economic History of the United States 2 (2000). Cambridge University Press. Web.
Stover, John F.. American Railroads. Chicago, IL, USA: University of Chicago Press, 2008. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 27 January 2015.
Extensive railroad construction in the 1800s laid an important foundation for the establishment of cross-country transportation systems. On May 10th, 1869 the Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory Point. This moment was pivotal in the industrial development of America. Once this railroad—spanning the 1,907 miles from Iowa to San Francisco—was completed, westward expansion became increasingly more feasible. This railroad also increased the efficiency of interstate commerce and trading, and allowed America to develop a national economy.
The rapid development of an internal transportation system all across the country allowed for increased diversification of our economy. Transportation of goods was faster and cheaper than ever before, and more and more people were able to travel west to settle new lands. The development of these new lands allowed industrialization to take hold, and manufacturing increased as a result. Without that manufacturing, the eventual development of the automobile would have been considerably delayed.
Not only did the construction of the railroads facilitate important economic change, it also caused considerable change among laborers. Labor unions became an influential force in American life, as many of the industrial workers—including railroad workers—demanded better working conditions and pay. These early labor unions set the stage for future unionization efforts that were extremely important to employees in the automobile industry, such as the formation of the UAW.
The development of the railroads in the mid to late 1800s was essential to the economic and industrial development of the United States, and it laid the groundwork for the creation of national highway systems, as well as encouraged advancements in new forms of transportation.
Citations:
Fishlow, Albert. "The Long Nineteenth Century." The Cambridge Economic History of the United States 2 (2000). Cambridge University Press. Web.
Stover, John F.. American Railroads. Chicago, IL, USA: University of Chicago Press, 2008. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 27 January 2015.