How was the transcontinental railroad like the Internet?
Just like the internet, the railroad opened new worlds of work and commerce. Just like the internet, it obliterated older notions of time and space. People could travel places they never would have imagined going, and they could do so with remarkable speed.
What is the significance of the First Transcontinental Railroad 1869?
The resulting coast-to-coast railroad connection revolutionized the settlement and economy of the American West. It brought the western states and territories into alignment with the northern Union states and made transporting passengers and goods coast-to-coast considerably quicker, safer and less expensive.
What was the transcontinental railroad 1869?
By connecting the existing eastern U.S. rail networks to the west coast, the Transcontinental Railroad (known originally as the “Pacific Railroad”) became the first continuous railroad line across the United States. It was constructed between 1863 and 1869.
What is the history of the transcontinental railroad?
Transcontinental Railroad summary: The First Transcontinental Railroad was built crossing the western half of America and it was pieced together between 1863 and 1869. It was 1,776 miles long and served for the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States to be connected by rail for the first time in history.
Why is the transcontinental railroad called the Internet of the day?
The early railroads were the internet of their day, connecting people and commerce, compressing time and space. Starting in the 19th century, they turned America’s disparate regions into a connected whole and, in the process, created vast fortunes.
How did railroads destroy traditional relationships humans had with nature?
They destroyed our relationship with nature. Nature was literally annihilated, as when tunnels were cut through hills and depressions were graded to make the railroad as straight as possible.
What did the transcontinental railroad do?
By 1880, the transcontinental railroad was transporting $50 million worth of freight each year. In addition to transporting western food crops and raw materials to East Coast markets and manufactured goods from East Coast cities to the West Coast, the railroad also facilitated international trade.
Who had the idea of the transcontinental railroad?
In 1845, the New York entrepreneur Asa Whitney presented a resolution in Congress proposing the federal funding of a railroad that would stretch to the Pacific. Lobbying efforts over the next several years failed due to growing sectionalism in Congress, but the idea remained a potent one.