How Did Transportation Affect The Economy In The Late 1800s

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In the late 1800’s the United States population was growing rapidly, with the highest concentration of the population centered on the Atlantic coast. However, the country was land locked and the need for transportation increased. Travel to the Western states was in the form of pack animal, foot, or ship. Transportation routes and means of transportation made incredible changes during the 19th century as more and more settlers moved west. Roads were privately built in the early 1800’s. Roads were privately built and mostly toll roads. These toll roads were constructed and owned by companies that sold stock to raise construction capital. The Philadelphia-Lancaster Turnpike completion, resulted in a turnpike building boom that lasted 20 years. 4,000 miles of turnpikes had been completed connecting Eastern cities. The …show more content…
The development of the first railroad began in Baltimore, in 4 years it reached 73 miles. The United States had over 3,000 miles of tracks, most of them in the North. There was no single southern railway system. Railroads inadvertently encouraged settlement and expansion of farming. Trade and exports became easier and faster. Access to national markets helped farmers increase production. In the 1820’s, Steamboats stimulated the agricultural economy of the west. Farmers settled near rivers so as to easily ship their product out. These areas quickly became villages which evolved into urban centers due to the boom of trade along the river routes. The Steamboats were a much more comfortable means of transportation, and quickly became famous for luxury, floating palaces, where gambling, drinking and dancing took place. The modes of transportation that developed in the United States, encouraged trade, exploration and settling of lands in the west. Because of the growth and development of roads, canals, railroads, and steamboats, America became a prosperous