What was the main reason businesses began using the railroad for shipping products in the late 1800s
American
Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
On May 10, 1869, as the last spike was driven in the Utah desert, the blows were heard across the country. Telegraph wires wrapped around spike and sledgehammer transmitted the impact instantaneously east and west. In San Francisco and New York, wires had been connected to cannons facing outward across the ocean. When the signal from the spike came through, the cannons fired. The world was put on notice: the transcontinental railroad was completed and America was moving to the forefront of the world's stage. Show
The World Grew Smaller A Competing Canal Surging Interstate Trade Improved Public
Discourse A Disaster for Native Americans A Web of Rails Why was the railroad so important during the late 1800's?The railroad opened the way for the settlement of the West, provided new economic opportunities, stimulated the development of town and communities, and generally tied the country together.
What impact did the transcontinental railroad have on the economy during the late 1800s?Just as it opened the markets of the west coast and Asia to the east, it brought products of eastern industry to the growing populace beyond the Mississippi. The railroad ensured a production boom, as industry mined the vast resources of the middle and western continent for use in production.
Why was the expansion of railroads important to the US oil industry in the late 1800s?The 19th century was a period of great change and rapid industrialization. The iron and steel industry spawned new construction materials, the railroads connected the country and the discovery of oil provided a new source of fuel. The discovery of the Spindletop geyser in 1901 drove huge growth in the oil industry.
How did railroad companies stimulate the American economy in the late 1800s?It made commerce possible on a vast scale.
In addition to transporting western food crops and raw materials to East Coast markets and manufactured goods from East Coast cities to the West Coast, the railroad also facilitated international trade.
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