Impact of the Railroad
Ever since the 1830s when Horatio Allen imported the first steam locomotive from
Britain, railroads have captured the imagination of Americans. This new machine with
the luxury of riverboats, could cross immense distances and terrains that would exhaust
horses. Railroads made local travel possible and reliable enough for business as well as
for people and families moving west. After realizing how the railroad greatly impacted
the settlement of the west and the development of the country as a whole the government
granted loans and large land sales to the railroad companies.
The railroad was rapidly moving across the west. By 1859 the railroad had
crossed the Missouri river. Then the United States cheered as the central Pacific and
Union Pacific railroads at Promontory, Utah, on May
railroad lines was and still is signified by a golden spike, making it the first
transcontinental railroad in the US The regional lines multiplied as a result of this and
other transcontinental railroad lines.
Even thought the railroad created a large amount of jobs, after the
transcontinental rail was finished all of the workers or employees were not as much in
demand and therefor relieved of there jobs. This caused a lot of controversy which led to
a series of strikes against the union heads.
Of all the great achievements that the US has made over the centuries I believe
that the railroad is towards the top of the list. It is not only one of the best ways of
trading and transporting goods across the country, it is also a very good mode of
transportation.