Changing America The United States was only a country for about 15 years before the basic way of life for people in the country started to change drastically. We developed politically and economically, expanded westward and divided along sectional borders. However these are not the only characteristics that define this time period. 1790-1860 was a period of rapid industrialization, market revolution and changing social order. This was largely due to new methods of transportation, mechanization and the changes in women’s roles. As new developments were made in the transportation industry people’s lives began to change rapidly. States tried to improve their roads to make traveling on them much safer and more comfortable. The federal government
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Railroads provided the cheapest and most efficient way of transporting goods and people across the country. Not long after their introduction, networks of railroad lines covered the United States and connected all parts of the country. Gone were the times where you would never travel more than 20 miles from where you were born. Now people could move easily whenever the pleased. People started to expand westward and more cities started popping up out west along the railroads. These trading posts became very successful and played a major role in the market …show more content…
In order to build the railroads there was a huge demand for labor and resources which stimulated economic growth especially in the industrial north. Steel and wood were in high demand so naturally prices were raised and companies made more money. People like Cornelius Vanderbilt created monopolies off of this industry and became very wealthy. The need for more workers resulted in many more people getting jobs which also added to the growing economy. Another way the railroad industry stimulated the economy was by expanding the national marked greatly. Railroads made it very easy to move goods on land even across far distances. The west now became useful in the national economy due to the fact that they could send their products anywhere in the country (Baker 336). By making more products available to more people more people were buying them making more money available for trade and investments.This led not only to a market revolution but to rapid industrialization as well. America no longer solely depended on farming and agriculture in their economy; instead they used to aid the new industrial economy. In most parts of the country major cities were popping up and they were now producing more manufactured goods and
Railroads provided the cheapest and most efficient way of transporting goods and people across the country. Not long after their introduction, networks of railroad lines covered the United States and connected all parts of the country. Gone were the times where you would never travel more than 20 miles from where you were born. Now people could move easily whenever the pleased. People started to expand westward and more cities started popping up out west along the railroads. These trading posts became very successful and played a major role in the market …show more content…
In order to build the railroads there was a huge demand for labor and resources which stimulated economic growth especially in the industrial north. Steel and wood were in high demand so naturally prices were raised and companies made more money. People like Cornelius Vanderbilt created monopolies off of this industry and became very wealthy. The need for more workers resulted in many more people getting jobs which also added to the growing economy. Another way the railroad industry stimulated the economy was by expanding the national marked greatly. Railroads made it very easy to move goods on land even across far distances. The west now became useful in the national economy due to the fact that they could send their products anywhere in the country (Baker 336). By making more products available to more people more people were buying them making more money available for trade and investments.This led not only to a market revolution but to rapid industrialization as well. America no longer solely depended on farming and agriculture in their economy; instead they used to aid the new industrial economy. In most parts of the country major cities were popping up and they were now producing more manufactured goods and