Effect of the railroads on the United states

There were numerous revolutionary inventions that contributed to the giant leap made by some nations during the Industrial Revolution. From inventions in the textile industry to inventions in transportation, these many innovations played a central role in the rise of the industrial nations. Among the significant inventions that contributed foremost to the rise of nations such as the United States, the railroad stands out.

The railway system originated in the European nation, England, which had a dense population confined to a small geographic area. This was not the situation in the United States; however, this did not stop the railroad from reaching the Americas in the early 1800s. Unlike the railroad system in England, which was allotted a large budget and which had relatively little land to cover, railroads in America had to meet the demands of a population that was greatly dispersed across larger distances. They had to meet this goal on a limited budget. Though railroad companies experienced remarkable success in both situations, they were especially successful in the young United States. Before the Civil War, and even in the era that followed, the railway system played an important role in the transportation, expan

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In the 1850s, these states produced less than 40,000,000 bushels of wheat, but by the 1860s that number doubled to almost 80,000,000 bushels. As a result, more goods were available, helping both manufactures and farmers in the west and the east.

The trains increased the amount of production in other areas besides agriculture.

This mass production of goods greatly helped the farmers because with the opening of new markets, they could produce and sale more at higher prices. The first states and major cities of the United States were all located on some body of water, be it lake, river, or ocean. "13 So indeed, it was the iron horse that threw the country on its back and carried it forward. 4 This was evident by the location of the larger cities in the United States.

Unfortunately, they could often be set back by undesirable weather conditions such as storms, high water levels, and low water levels. Railroads carried more goods and people across larger distances at a much faster rate of speed than any other method of transportation that existed at that time. The confines of the railroad car protected goods and travelers from the turbulence of the changing weather and terrain, as well as from the dangerous animals and criminals that might be encountered along its trails. Therefore farmers out west began to try to maximize their production. 5 This was soon to change with the building of the first passenger train tracks to head west. With the expansion of the railroads, there was a greater demand for resources like iron, coal, glass, and rubber.

Approximate Word count = 1528
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

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