1800's transportation

A detailed Summary of 1800's transportation

The growth of the American economy began to boom in the first portion of the nineteenth century. Industry began to take hold of America, where it had been very slow to develop. Industry and agriculture were highly promoted by the increase in transportation technology. Transportation alone did not improve the economy; it facilitated the growth of industry and agriculture in the United States. The National Road, Railroads, and canals allowed the farmers to move produce to the east and factory owners to move their goods into the west and back again much more easily and quickly, thus causing the price of these goods to drop accordingly. Steamboats permitted the transport of goods throughout the year rather than just in the warm seasons. The lack of a keel on the boats allowed for further penetration into shallower waters and to more previously inaccessible regions of the waterways, and to move through muddy water much more easily. The Railroad system also allowed for more people to move out west and further develop agriculture in the virgin soil.

The first demands for a national road were head back in 1740 when the few settlers in the "west" (the Ohio river valley) called for an avenue in which to transport their goods to an

After 1850 the railroad helped to stimulate the growth of agriculture and settlement in the mid-west. The mid-western states, by 1860, had surpassed the east in wheat production. The quick production and transport of the produce from the Mid-west to the eastern states increased the farms' values and further promoted settlement. The need to transport the goods quickly helped to boost the economy of major "hub" cities like Chicago and Cincinnati; who facilitated the trade and in turn grew into centers of trade and commerce in the mid-west.

The first half of the nineteenth century was one of widespread innovation and economic development. Without the aid of modern transportation, and transportation routes, the economy may not have taken off like it did. Advancements such as the train and steamboat allowed for much deeper penetration into the heart of America. The American need for expansion, and exploration lead the country into a transportation revolution, that jumpstarted the economy and eventually gave rise to America's status as one of the most powerful countries in the world.

Railroads, already active in Britain, were recognized as having great potential in America. They were cheaper and faster to build, and were not hindered by the seasons. Long after rivers had frozen over, railroads could still operate at near peak efficiency. People still remained the chief "cargo" on the railroads. Conditions aboard the trains remained unsophisticated and without a standard time in America, train timetables remained unsteady. With all of it's shortcomings, America still retained it's love for the train. Links between the mid-west and east directed much of the trade up towards the east and new England, and away from the south, where there existed very few rail lines. Railroads facilitated the shaping

Some common words found in the essay are:
Mid-West Manufactures, York Ohio, Road Railroads, National Road, Illinois Central, Chicago Cincinnati, , Erie Canal, America American, Vandalia Illinois, national road, stage lines, industry agriculture, nineteenth century, move west, transport quickly,

Approximate Word count = 1227
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History