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, the advancements that came with the Model-T and the era of the automobile would have been significantly delayed without the establishment of railroads. 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—the same ones that would later facilitate widespread use of the automobile (Stover, 2008). On May 10th, 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory Point, a pivotal moment in the industrial development of America. Once this railroad was completed, westward expansion began happening much more quickly. This railroad also increased the efficiency of interstate commerce and trading, and allowed America to develop a diverse national economy (Fishlow, 2000). While the automobile did not yet exist at this point, these developments laid the groundwork for the automobile to make an enormous impact on America, specifically in terms of industrialization within our national economy.
The rapid development of an internal transportation system all across the country facilitated industrialization, and as a result, increased the 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 as a result, manufacturing increased greatly (Fishlow, 2000). Without that increase in 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 industrial workers—including railroad workers—demanded better pay and improved working conditions (Stover, 2008). 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 and encouraged advancements in new forms of transportation. The creation of a nationwide railroad system also established cross-country transportation methods and ushered in an era of industrialization and manufacturing, both of which were crucial for the success of the automobile and its industry well into the future.
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—the same ones that would later facilitate widespread use of the automobile (Stover, 2008). On May 10th, 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory Point, a pivotal moment in the industrial development of America. Once this railroad was completed, westward expansion began happening much more quickly. This railroad also increased the efficiency of interstate commerce and trading, and allowed America to develop a diverse national economy (Fishlow, 2000). While the automobile did not yet exist at this point, these developments laid the groundwork for the automobile to make an enormous impact on America, specifically in terms of industrialization within our national economy.
The rapid development of an internal transportation system all across the country facilitated industrialization, and as a result, increased the 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 as a result, manufacturing increased greatly (Fishlow, 2000). Without that increase in 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 industrial workers—including railroad workers—demanded better pay and improved working conditions (Stover, 2008). 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 and encouraged advancements in new forms of transportation. The creation of a nationwide railroad system also established cross-country transportation methods and ushered in an era of industrialization and manufacturing, both of which were crucial for the success of the automobile and its industry well into the future.
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.