Introduction
The former colonies that, with the help of George Washington and his contemporaries, gained independence and grew into the greatest democracy in the world, have registered significant change throughout the 19th century. Geographically, the young country spans from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The United States expanded its influence over the western and southwestern parts of the continent. In this context, by initially connecting only the important points in the East, the railroad system became the country’s veins, literally assuming this analogy’s vital meaning for the human body. Its importance lies in colonization acceleration through growing trade and travel possibilities, national image creation through landscape and people’s perception changes, and a rich social context considering Indigenous, immigrant, and white populations.
Acceleration of the Colonization Process
Regional Development
The constant construction and expansion of the railroad network to the West increased the speed of the region’s development. First of all, the railroad made travel more accessible and affordable for the American people. The steam engine enabled people to reach remote regions more rapidly than if they had solely used horse-powered transport (Berkin et al., 2014).
Railroads directly contributed to the expansion of the frontier by allowing for increased human movement. The government fully supported the development of the land beyond it, offering generous credits for farm and ranch construction. Therefore, new people either settled in already established settlements and towns or continued searching for other available land.
Domestic and International Trade Growth
In addition to securing the constant transfer of human resources, railroad construction increased the availability of markets for various commodities. By providing a more convenient way for transferring agricultural and natural resources to the East and manufactured and industrial goods to the West, the railroad contributed to internal and international U.S. trade (Library of Congress, n.d.). For instance, a product for sale in New York received the opportunity to travel much farther and faster to the West, not to mention the possibility of transporting larger product quantities both to the frontier and neighboring countries.
A more particular example of international trade would be the agricultural trade between the U.S. and Europe in the middle of the 19th century. During the 1850s, the price of grains increased globally, which perfectly aligned with railroad construction (Berger, 2019). At that time, crop failures caused by terrible weather conditions and followed by civil unrest in Europe significantly hindered agricultural production in the region (Berkin et al., 2014). As a result, American farmers were able to capitalize on the rising demand through the combination of rail transportation and technological advancements in farming equipment. Westerners expanded farm sizes and focused on selling crops, leading to a substantial global strengthening of the Western states, both economically and politically.
Apart from enabling the inexpensive and effective transportation of manufactured and agricultural items across the nation, the railroads fostered the growth of other economic activities. For example, the railroad industry was the largest single consumer of steel used to make its locomotives and tracks. In contrast, coal was the primary fuel source (Sequeira et al., 2020). Due to their scale and complexity, the railroads became early adopters of novel management strategies such as the division of labor between operations and finances (Berkin et al., 2014). Moreover, they can be considered responsible for pioneering the establishment of the first strict hierarchical structures within organizations, which explicitly delineated the command chain and particular responsibilities (Berkin et al., 2014). Lastly, competition among the numerous railroad enterprises resulted in business consolidation, further promoting the country’s industrial development.
Tourism
Tourism was another area that registered significant growth with the growth of railroad construction. Also, train travel offered a genuinely fresh approach to traveling compared to animal-powered transport. Locomotives provided a comfortable trip without burdensome and tiring space limitations. A good night’s sleep in personal accommodations could be followed by a supper in the large dining car on certain passenger trains. This, accompanied by a substantial 85% price reduction, resulted in a surge of interest toward tourism (Craghead, 2019). Although not being the main source of income, tourism brought a stable income for the U.S. railway companies.
Shaping the Country’s Image
Settlement Growth and Expansion
Along the railroad, new settlements were able to flourish thanks to the growing transport infrastructure. Initially designed as stopover stations, they were situated at regular intervals, providing rest for tourists and additional retail outlets for locals. With increased traffic, the settlements grew and prospered, eventually evolving into small towns due to a surge of people and economic goods. In other words, the country was mapping its current geographical outline by creating settlements, towns, and, eventually, cities at the places of the railroad expansion (Solomonson, 2021).
For example, after the completion of the Michigan Southern Railroad in 1852, it took only three years for Chicago to develop into an essential transportation center, connecting western areas with the eastern shore (Berkin et al., 2014). Another example is Davis, California, which was founded in 1868 at a Southern Pacific Railroad terminal (Berkin et al., 2014). Gradual urbanization only intensified after the completion of transcontinental railroads.
People’s Perception
By allowing people to cover great distances in significantly less time, railways altered people’s perception of a country’s territory. In general, the ability for any individual to effortlessly cross the whole country significantly contributed to the national sense of closeness and unity (Berkin et al., 2014). For instance, the first transcontinental railroad, which started its operation in 1869, reduced the time necessary to travel from San Francisco to New York to only six days (Craghead, 2019). Transcontinental railroads were constructed later to connect the American East with its southern parts, opening up further possibilities for travel. This way, distant states were no longer abstract terms in the mind of a commoner: they became far more realistic.
National Uniformity
Railroads played a significant role in symbolically and literally unifying the country after the American Civil War. The North, being far more industrially developed than the South, can partially attribute its victory to the railroad (Berkin et al., 2014). Most of the factories and companies that produced the rails and other equipment were in the northern part of the country (Berkin et al., 2014).
Thus, the Union blockade prevented the South from obtaining replacement components and new machinery, resulting in the collapse of railroad transportation in the Confederacy by the end of the war. In order to reconstruct the transportation infrastructure, significant funds were invested in connecting distant regions, leading to the construction of transcontinental railroads. This way, they provided a solution for securing stable routes for necessary resources and increased the country’s economic interconnectedness.
Apart from that, the transportation of intangible goods ensured the country’s national uniformity and solidification. Specifically, in the absence of widespread radio technology, the railroad provided the quickest way of informational exchange, ensuring that all regions had equal access to the most relevant knowledge and information (Berkin et al., 2014). Apart from that, countless tourists and travelers brought about trends common in different parts of the U.S. Concepts such as fashion, behavioral peculiarities, and dialectical alterations were successfully transported by the railroad and adopted across the country.
Impact on Society and Social Life
Effect on Wild Areas
Indigenous Americans were among the people who suffered greatly from railroad construction and constant white settlement expansion. Firstly, it affected the wildlife that used to live on the occupied territory (Monroe, 2022). Not only did they have to leave their usual habitat, but the number of hunters greatly increased with the arrival of white people. In this context, Indigenous people were left without means of providing themselves with food, clothes, and shelter.
Moreover, Indigenous settlements were also pressured by the constant white expansion (Monroe, 2022). Although there were numerous attempts at retaliation, white people’s superior technology and manpower made those attempts futile. Overall, these conflicts had a strong and long-lasting cultural impact, with the consequences visible even in modern times.
Racial Tensions
One of the controversial issues with the construction process was the question of immigrant labor. Between 1820 and 1860, about 50% of all immigrants to the U.S. came from Ireland, a country plagued by famine, political unrest, and poverty (Berkin et al., 2014). Irish poverty was so pervasive in the 1840s that many Irish farmers could not provide for their families (Berkin et al., 2014).
Thus, the majority of Irish immigrants arrived impoverished with little to no prospect of obtaining work due to a lack of expertise. The usual labor scarcity in America slowly transitioned into a labor oversupply as the immigrant population grew. As a result, all immigrant employees’ economic and social status was generally poor.
Another group of immigrants that was fairly numerous was Chinese workers. According to Karuka (2019), between 1863 and 1869, approximately 15,000 Chinese immigrants traveled to America to escape poverty. In this context, railway companies were eager to provide work at the track construction sites with questionable working conditions.
Not only did the immigrants receive considerably lower payments compared to white workers, but they were also utilized in the most dangerous tasks, such as digging the tunnels. However, compared to Irish workers, Chinese people did not intend to settle in America (Karuka, 2019). The latter generally accumulated sufficient funds and returned to their home country, avoiding the tension in society pertaining to immigrant laborers.
National Confidence
Despite the railroad’s effects not being utterly positive for every person in the U.S. territory, its general impact can be considered positive. The most important factor was the growing national confidence due to the apparent economic and industrial growth of the nation and the country as a whole (Berkin et al., 2014). In this context, “apparent” implies that people were able to witness first-hand, constantly increasing railroad reach, growth of settlements and transportation hubs along the way, and capitalize on opportunities the expanding U.S. market could provide. Thus, the national confidence grew alongside an increasing quality of life and feeling of pride for the country.
Conclusion
Due to its undeniable contribution to U.S. territorial, economic, and social development, the importance of railroads in U.S. history can hardly be overestimated. The trade, travel, and communication opportunities greatly contributed to the U.S.’s growth rates and international status. Meanwhile, the ease with which people and information were able to traverse the country connected the nation, regardless of geographical boundaries. Finally, the fact that railroad construction had long-lasting social consequences signals that the event of such significance affected all areas of the country’s life, proving its scale and importance.
References
Berger, T. (2019). Railroads and rural industrialization: Evidence from a historical policy experiment. Explorations in Economic History, 74. Web.
Berkin, C., Miller, C., & Cherny, R. (2014). Making America: A History of the United States, Volume I: To 1877 (7th ed.). Cengage Limited.
Craghead, A. B. (2019). Railroads, power, and technological stories in California. California History, 96(2), 6-18. Web.
Karuka, M. (2019). Empire’s tracks: Indigenous nations, Chinese workers, and the transcontinental railroad. University of California Press.
Library of Congress. (n.d.). Railroads in the late 19th Century. Web.
Monroe, A. (2022). Whiteness and the West before the Transcontinental Railroad. American Art, 36(3), 28-32. Web.
Sequeira, S., Nunn, N., & Qian, N. (2020). Immigrants and the making of America. The Review of Economic Studies, 87(1), 382-419. Web.
Solomonson, K. (2021). The American Renaissance in the West: Capital, class, and culture along the Northern Pacific Railroad. Architectural History, 64, 137-162. Web.