Expansion of the American Railroad System - Essay Example

Americas Railroad System Expansion of the American railroad system Introduction Transportation and communication technology are the most important infrastructure, if any country is make any economic growth. Transportation is the ability to move goods and people, from one location to another destination. Communication, on the other hand, is the passing of information to and from another party, in whatever destination. Transportation and communication technology go hand in hand. The earliest forms of transport include such methods as the use of animals like horses and donkeys to move goods and people. This method however has many shortcomings, and there was need to come up with better transport systems, in terms of security of the transport means, speed and efficiency. Railroads are one good example of much better transportation system that was invented in many countries. This paper examines the expansion of the railroad in the United States of America in the late 19th century, and its effects on the American economy. Railroads are said to have existed as early as the 6th century BC. But it is until the 16th century that railroads were put to extensive use in Europe. Europeans started using the railroads in transporting coal and charcoal from the mines. The first mechanically worked railroad was in Britain, during the second decade of the 19th century, and then the railroads were introduced to America in 1829 (Jensen 13). This led to many changes in America; it improved transportation and communication technology so much, that it could be viewed as a revolution in America. It advanced technology; it expanded and settled America’s borders further to the west, improved economic development and communication, as well as labor and immigration. It also introduced new management policies and technology. There are three factors that reshaped America in the late 19th century. The First was the Civil war; the second factor was the continuing tide of westward expansion; and the third factor was the industrial revolution that happened in America and around Europe. But the railroad was a common factor to all these occurrences (Jensen 27). This permitted the preservation of the union, and subsequently the rapid industrialization that led America to develop into the world power that it is. The civil conflict was however the stand-out event in the 19th century and the railroads played an important role in it. Railroads were used in the movement of soldiers and ammunition to war zones. There was rapid industrialization in the north in the period between 1820 and 1860, and the railroads helped create, and ultimately benefited from the rise of factory production and the agriculture that was being conducted on a large scale. The railroads in the south were not as well maintained and built as the ones in the north. Still, they played a marginal role in the tobacco and cotton trade that was the backbone of the south economy. The north therefore developed more than the south and therefore in the end, due to its industrial supremacy, was able to defeat the confederacy into submitting. The leaders of that time, president Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson David’s, recognized that the railroads will be very important in the war, and this was evident by how the soldiers on both sides of the railroads tried to use it to their advantage (Jensen 59). The south, however, did not have industries that had the ability to build new locomotives for the war, nor the political power to improve the railroads and networks in their area, to enable them to function well and therefore put up a credible fight. The north decided to take full advantage that access to the railroads provided, by creating the United States military railroad that had the powers to take any railroad it considered strategic and important into its control, so that its soldiers could use them. This body was put under the control of ranking officers Daniel C McCallum and Herman Haupt. They were given a lot of power to ensure they provided maximum support to the northern soldiers. The real strategic value of the railroads was however, felt, when General William Rosecrans was under siege at Tennessee, in the year 1863 (Jensen 67). Rosecrans needed reinforcements in order to survive and not lose the battle. Lincoln had to make a daring decision, by approving the sending of two entire army corps on a rail route to provide General Rosecrans with the reinforcement he needed. This was such a short notice, and some members of the cabinet and even some generals objected to this plan. The northern forces were however able to carry twenty thousand men, with their full equipment, horses and one hundred cars carrying baggage and supplies. This was achieved in a period of only eleven days, from the date of conception of the idea to the date of execution. The war ended fifteen months later and approximately seventeen thousand soldiers made the reverse trip to defeat the opposing forces in the final battle. The railroad had proved to be a very strategic component of the war, and also a powerful tool of civilization. Another reason as to why railroads were developed in Europe is that during the French and Napoleonic wars, many horses that were being used to move soldiers were lost, thereby proving to be ineffective and costly in the war. A better means of transport had to be developed and that happened to be the locomotive. Economic impacts of the railroad The expansion of the railroads is also credited with urbanization of many cities in America. This was especially evident in the 1890’s. This is because the railroads provided access to markets by providing steady and reliable supply of food, fuel and building materials. It also contributed to the physical growth of cities, as more people moved to places linked with a good railroad connection with other places. Railroads thus made living in urban areas enjoyable. The development of the telegraph was also as a result of the railroad. In almost every part where a railroad passed, there was a telegraph wire. Mail was also sent and sorted via the trains and therefore communication largely improved. The west also felt the impact of the expansion of the railroad. It led to the opening up of several national parks, construction of modern forms of structures for example hotels, restaurants and resorts. It thus opened up the western part to new economic exploitation. Railroads not only became the driver for American economy, but also the general world economy. By mid 19th century, steam railroads had become the most dominant form of transport, in continental America. American railroads developed as the most complex examples of ideal systems that the general world longed for, and their geopolitical, economic, business and managerial structures later on influenced the growth of large scale corporate businesses. Railroads helped Americans to run away from their tedious, boring and miserable lives of agricultural and industrial work. These people could now work in the ironworks industry and engineering shops that were mushrooming everywhere even in the poor areas of the United States, due to the opening up of several steel works and rolling mills (Matustiz, “The impact”). This led to increase of demand for goods in the economy, and therefore increased output, benefiting the American economy. Railroads expansion also contributed greatly to the development of the financial sector. This is because people could now move so fast, to negotiate contracts and therefore improving financial output for national and international markets. It also made it possible for financial gurus to link up, for purposes other than transport or travel. Impact on American concepts of time and space The expansion of the railroads in America had effects on their perception of time and space. The speed, reliability and carrying capacity associated with the locomotives and steam engines basically collapsed space. People could now move far and wide at previously un-imagined speed. Time savings that was brought about by the speed of the locomotives also brought the world together, and gave strategic significance to places that were initially remote. Time savings were directly associated to more money, and therefore people changed the way they operated, in order to dedicate more time in order to make more money. They thus started to for example take lunch at noon, instead of any time they felt hungry. The same applies to breakfast, supper and bed time (Matustiz, “The impact”). Other impacts of the railroad expansion Social impacts of railroad expansion The railroad is credited with having certain social impacts on society. Certain phrases were developed directly as a result of the railroad construction. Phrases such as “on the right track”, and “to blow off steam”, originate directly from the train locomotive. Railroads also led to the establishment of classes of people, e.g. the bourgeois. There were thus the 1st class passengers and 2nd class passengers (Matustiz, “The impact”). These are the wealthy that accumulated wealth fast because of the industrial revolution, which was greatly supported by the railroad expansion. It also weakened the aristocracy and established a social structure. The mentality of the new connected America was ambitious and demanding. There was however a negative effect that came with the expansion of the railroads. Many locomotives passed on the railroads, and these locomotives were powered by steam engines. These steam engines required a lot of coal and wood to heat the steam (Jensen 104). This means that the exhaust gases released by the locomotives contained hazardous gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide; hence there was a lot of pollution. Cross-cultural impact The expansion of the railroad increased intercultural interaction through trade, meaning more contact between the communities. This ultimately led to the diffusion of DNA, as a result of intermarriage and sexual activities between the different communities (Matustiz, “The impact”). There was also diffusion of DNA with respect to livestock. This is because cattle and other animals’ imports were being transported on the railroads. Psychological impact The railroad influenced the psychology of people. There was a decisive shift in terms of the appropriate behavior needed, with stress on emotional control. Political impact The development of the railroad helped strengthen political power of the central government. This was as a result of several reasons; railroads were very expensive to construct and built and therefore the government had to come in and support the construction, through grants of massive pieces of land. Another reason as to why the government’s political influence was strengthened is that everyone wanted the railroads to be laid in their region; the government had to come in and help in the decision making, as to which part will be more profitable for the railroads to be constructed first. Finally, the governments influence was also needed to decide the standard track sizes for the different companies that ran the railroads, so that the trains could run on other companies’ gauges, and without crashing (Matustiz, “The impact”) Conclusion The development of the railroad had very many positive impacts on America, and few negatives. It definitely affected the economy in a good way, and changed the Americans perception of time and space. It also had several other impacts like political, cultural and social. Americans were happy with what they saw (the railroad and the locomotives), and sung them praises, and even incorporated them in their film industry. There have been a lot of changes that have happened to the rail transport system, changes that have even bettered this means of transport. Security has been improved on the railroads through the use of security cameras, and their speeds have been increased further in the new developed electric trains. Works Cited Jensen, Oliver. The American Heritage History of Railroads in America. New York: American Heritage Publishing Company, 1975. Print. American Geographical Society of New York. Railroads. New York: Pleasantville, 2001. Print. Jensen, Oliver. Railroads in America. New York: American Heritage Publishing Company, 1975. Print. Matustiz, Jonathan. “The Impact of the Railroad on American Society: A communication Perspective of Technology.” Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural 7.3 (2009): Web. 12 Dec. 2011. The Flow of History. Railroads and their impact (c.1885-1900), 2008. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. Cronon, William. Nature’s Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West. New York: Norton Publishing, 1991.Print. American Eras. The Railroads: Expansion and Economic Transformation in the Midwest, 1997. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Howstuffworks. Railroad Expansion, 2003.Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Read More