America’s Economic Revolution. As the territory of the United States expanded, roads became less...
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Transcript of America’s Economic Revolution. As the territory of the United States expanded, roads became less...
Triumph of the RailsAmerica’s Economic Revolution
The Turnpike Era
As the territory of the United States expanded, roads became less practical for moving goods
The need for better long-distance transportation brought an end to the turnpike era
Rivers
While shipping downstream was common and convenient, shipping goods upstream provided a challenge.
New Orleans became the shipping center of the United States Farmers in the West sent their goods in Sent by Steamship to eastern cities
This arrangement worked, but it also drove prices up
Canals
A team of 4 horses could haul 100 times the cargo along a canal than it could along a road
The great expense of building canals meant that the projects fell mostly into the realm of the states
Northeastern states were the first to start construction
The Erie Canal
40 feet wide, 4 feet deep, 350 miles long
The largest construction project undertaken in the United States at the time
Traffic was so heavy on the Canal that tools had repaid the entire cost in 7 years
The Erie and other canals gave New York direct access to Chicago
New York and Chicago begin to compete with New Orleans as shipping centers
Early Railroads
Most early railroads in the United States were relatively short
They were initially used to connect water routes
Canal companies and even state governments often interfered with or restricted the growth of railroads for fear of competition
Triumph of the Rails
After 1840, railroads begin to replace canals and all other modes of transportation
Rails were much easier and cheaper to lay than digging canals Private companies could afford it
Chicago became the rail center of the West
State and federal governments helped private companies to finance the rails through loans and land grants
Close
Why did the rail system supplant the canal system as the nation’s major
transportation network?