Transportation System

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The growth of our nation, the United States, during the 19th century was in large part due to the advancements and improvements in the transportation system. These advancements began to flourish during the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Acts (“Abraham Lincoln: A life in the Brief”). These Acts promoted the construction of an Intercontinental railroad system, which marked the first step towards a modernized and improved society. The transportation improvements created not only the railroad system but also the steamboat system, which allowed for transportation of goods along the rivers to increase (“The Transportation Revolution). This transportation network of railroads and steamboats that emerged during the Civil War until the beginning of World War I was the basis that created a well-integrated national economy. This system became one of the most important factors of the national economy during the 1800’s because they increased the transportation of goods, transportation of people to the west, and the developing systems generated jobs for the population. To begin with, improvements in the transportation system of railroads and steamboats were increasingly important to the national economy during the 1800’s because it increased the transportation of goods, which ultimately increased the money flow of the U.S. The railroad systems expansion allowed for there to be year around transportation of goods to the ports in the eastern side of the United States, “Farmers and manufacturers alike shipped products directly and quickly to major markets. Virtually overnight” (Ewald). This expansion allowed for new markets throughout the United States to form because goods were able to reach other parts of... ... middle of paper ... ...Entrepreneurial Leadership Among the "Robber Barons": A Trial Balance." The Journal of Economic History 6 May (1946): 28-49. Ewald, Richard J. "Technology and Transportation: 1790-1870." Flow of History. Connecticut River Joint Commissions, 2010. Web. 11 Oct. 2011. Mak, James, and Gary M. Walton. "Steamboats and the Great Productivity Surge In River Transportation." The Journal of Economic History 33.3 Sept. (1972): 619-40. McVey, Frank L. Railroad transportation: some phases of its history, operation and regulation. Ann Arbor Michigan: Cree publishing company, 1910. Temin, Peter. "Steam and Waterpower in the Early Nineteenth Century." The Journal of Economic History 26.2 June (1966): 187-205. "The Transportation Revolution." A.P Study Notes. Study Notes , 2008. Web. 12 Oct. 2011. .

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