Bridges

Canals and Railroads: The 19th Century Reforms in Transportation

The first development of the Railroad began in 1828 in Baltimore and Baltimore and Ohio was later reached 73 miles. The Charleston and Hamburg railroad extended 136 miles west of Charleston in 1833. In 1837 the Panic of 1837 slowed railroad construction but by 1840 it caught up and the United States had doubled the mileage in all of Europe having more than 3,000 miles of tracks. By 1860 the United States saw development over 30,000 miles of railroad tracks, ¾ were industrializing north. There were many southern railway lines but not one southern railway system. The early railroad pioneers faced several challenges such as, tracks having steep grades and sharp curves needed a lot more powerful locomotives, also the sparks from a burning wood engine caused fires, the brakes were unsuccessful, and wooden rails with iron straps wore out rapidly causing it to break loose having dangerous crashes. The determination of most early railroad builders was to control the trade of certain districts and not to establish connections with competing centers, so their were less tracks coordinated into railroad systems. Frequently, railroads went so far as to use tracks of different widths to prevent other lines from using their tracks. The development of so many different railroads changed the American Society. The railroads provided unplanned benefits by encouraging settlement and expansion of farming, therefore transforming agriculture. Much more of the fertile prairie could be developed because the farmers now had access to national markets through the train. American cities were also influenced by the development of the railway. Eastern seaports, together with other midway centers like Cincinnati, benefited from an increase in exportable goods.

I. During the first half of the 19th century, improvements in transportation developed very quickly. . Roads, steamboats, canals, and railroads all had a positive...