Railroads have been around for a very long time. They have not only shaped Jamesburg’s history but they have shaped America’s history as well. Railroads have played an important role in shaping the west. Anywhere a railroad was built, the surrounding land soon started to develop as well. Railroads were a great way to transport items from place to place. Building materials, food, and fuel were just some of the many things that many of the railroads supplied to different cities or states in the U.S.
Railroads are a very important part of our history. Many of the railroads here in the U.S have helped states grow and have even helped some cities develop. Most people used railroads to travel from place to place because railroads were one of the most common ways of transportation. Towards the end of the 19th century railroads stretched across the U.S from coast to coast1. Railroads connected cities and people…show more content… In 1850, Chicago had a population of 30,000 people. In 1848, the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad was opened. This railroad brought many sources, like food and supplies, to the city and it also brought most of its people there. Chicago’s population more than tripled to 109,000 people by the end of the decade. We can attribute the very rapid increase of population to the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad.
The Transcontinental Railroad is one of the most important railroads in the U.S. This railroad was built in the 1860’s across North America. The railroad started in the eastern side of the U.S and connected with California on the western side of the U.S. On May 10, 1869 the two railroads, from the east and coast, met at Promontory, Utah. No longer were people transporting on wagon trains, people now looked at railroads as a new way of transportation. One of the many motivations for building the transcontinental railroad was to bind the Union together during the American Civil