The Effect of Trains and Railroad in America

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The Effect of Trains and Railroad in America
Rail transport was one of the most commonly used modes in America. Communication was very vital and therefore, it was a way of linking people. Moreover, it has been argued that the innovation of trains and railroads was dominant during the 19th century in a number of ways. In addition, the development process in the United States of America was catalyzed by the existence of rails and trains across the states. However, the discovery of railroads and trains in the U.S. cannot only be pledged on the positive effects. There are also a number of negative effects that America faced as a result of rail transport. Railroad is considered to be a first technology in America. The development of American railways brought the country closer, dropping travel time from months, to just a few days.
Positive Effects
The discovery of trains and railroad in America provided employment opportunities to the laborers. This was the time that the U.S. was experiencing developments and therefore labor was needed intensively especially in the sector of transport. Moreover, there were also exploitation of minerals like oil and other substances and therefore, there was need for laborers to load and offload different luggages into and from the wagon on trains (Gibson 124). Although the working conditions for these workers were not favorable, at least individuals earned some wages from the work they did.
Secondly, after the completion of the railroad, there was enhancement on the interstate trade in America. Consequently, through trade activities the states were able to transport their products to and from the market and as a result linking the buyers and sellers. It is evident that railroad shipped over a value of $50 million luggage to the coast annually. This was a great opportunity as it opened west coast and markets and therefore there was uplift in the economy of the U.S. Subsequently, this ensured that there was mass production in goods since there was assurance f transportation. Buyers and sellers had a market place to buy and sell products in a quicker and easy were in comparison to before.
Railroads are also considered to have enhanced on communication among people leading to scholarly lifestyles. Before railroads, transportation was very difficult and there was no easy connection among people. As a result, it took a number of days to travel to certain destination and therefore this discouraged people from travelling long distances. However, after completion of railroads, the Americans were able to traverse across the states in a shorter period of time. Moreover, it was easier for people to read books from different states after their publication. In this case there was transcontinental culture across America (Litman 98). Furthermore, people from different counties were widely interconnected easily. The trains used steam engines and this was faster in comparison to other means of transport like horse transportation. Additionally, it is approximated that rail transport linked the states in more than 1700 miles that it covered.
Another benefit associated with the rail road is that before the Americans were used to slow modes of transport that took a lot of time. In addition, some of these methods were dangerous since people had to travel for long distances. The introduction of railroads on the other hand was faster and could also carry a large number of people and also heavy luggage’s. To add up, this form of transport also ensured that the goods transported and individuals were free from harsh weather conditions like rain and also not forgetting some unsafe wild animals and unlawful criminals.
Despite railroads providing markets extensions across the states, they also inspired individuals to start up new ventures since there were ready markets across the continent. Individuals were free to produce and sell their products in the market because there were no barriers to entry to the market. Moreover, the market was considered to be efficient and hence the buyers were the price makers in the market. As a result, this heightened the economical status of the United States. Until today, America has been considered among the best continents across the world. This is as a result of the past trading activities that took place during the discovery of railroads. Accordingly, this was also a boost in the labor market since jobs were created by people coming up with ventures of their own and as a result there was increased revenue hence a higher gross national product for the continent. Companies and individuals had opportunities at their disposal (Middleton 123). Anyone who was willing would participate in the market by venturing in any kind of business.
Before the innovation of technology in America in terms of communication, postal services were a way of communication through people in different states. Through the use of railroads communications was ...