How Successful Was The Role Of Railroads In The 20th Century

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The United States came to be the successful country it is, because of the industrialization movement in the 1800’s. Today, railroads are everywhere in the United States, anywhere from small towns to large cities. Since the beginning railroads have improved the way cargo is sent. The making of the railroads is a significant part of the industrial revolution. The three key points I will discuss are: the factors that helped the railroads expand across United States, how they affected the United States transportation system, and the factors that contributed to the demise of railroads in the 20th century. There are many factors that helped railroads become successful. One of the factors was that railroads were far more efficient than the common horse drawn cart. With railroads people could carry more and move things faster, because the innovative steel design that made it possible to move things through long distances. Furthermore, most of the railroad companies at the time were privately owned. Another factor that contributed to the success of railroads was the joining of the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad in 1869. The transcontinental railroad made it possible to send freight from across the eastern coast of the United States to the western coast of the United States.…show more content…
It brought in business to small towns that were remote and a long distance away from larger cities at the time. Railroads became the most efficient way of transporting people and supplies from one location to the other. At the time railroads were the quickest form of transportation. Suddenly towns began to grow along the railroads. With that, the use of railroads across the United States helped boost the United States economy. Overall, railroads simplified transportation and encouraged expansion throughout the United States. The railroad network would continue to expand for the years to

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