Transportation Revolution United States I

After 1815, Dramatic improvements in transportation After 1815, Dramatic improvements in transportation Roads Roads Steamboats Steamboats Canals Canals Railroads Railroads Create interregional linkages, previously not in existance Create interregional linkages, previously not in existance

Condition in 1815 Rural nation—highly fragmented Rural nation—highly fragmented Transportation ranged from primitive to non- existent Transportation ranged from primitive to non- existent West of Appalachians—almost totally undeveloped West of Appalachians—almost totally undeveloped

Western transportation Most settlers lived near shores of Ohio/Mississippi River System Most settlers lived near shores of Ohio/Mississippi River System Float products down river—from Pittsburgh about 30 days Float products down river—from Pittsburgh about 30 days At New Orleans—shipped to Eastern ports At New Orleans—shipped to Eastern ports Boats then torn apart for lumber and boatsmen walked home on Natchez Trace Boats then torn apart for lumber and boatsmen walked home on Natchez Trace

Upstream Transport Difficult and Expensive Difficult and Expensive Poling up river—15 miles per day Poling up river—15 miles per day Results Results Limited goods Limited goods Expensive prices Expensive prices

East-West Natural flow Natural flow Hauling goods over mountains expensive Hauling goods over mountains expensive

Roads National Road National Road Baltimore to Wheeling, Virginia by 1818 Baltimore to Wheeling, Virginia by 1818 Lancaster Turnpike Lancaster Turnpike Linked Philadelphia, Lancaster and Pittsburgh Linked Philadelphia, Lancaster and Pittsburgh New York New York Major road from Albany to Lake Erie by 1812 Major road from Albany to Lake Erie by 1812 By 1821—4,000 miles of road By 1821—4,000 miles of road

Problems with roads Expensive Expensive Especially for bulky items Especially for bulky items Oats example Oats example Hard to maintain Hard to maintain Often not linked together Often not linked together Privately owned Privately owned No common plan No common plan

Steamboats Key to western development Key to western development John Fitch and Robert Fulton John Fitch and Robert Fulton Clermont 1807 Clermont 1807 Flatbottom boat development Flatbottom boat development 1 st riverboat by st riverboat by 1815 Booms Booms New Orleans as major port New Orleans as major port Massive flow of good—up and down river Massive flow of good—up and down river Freight charges reduced Freight charges reduced Interior opened to development Interior opened to development

Dangers of Steamboats Very unsafe Very unsafe Short life span of boats Short life span of boats Boiler explosions Boiler explosions Fires Fires High loss of life High loss of life

Canals Steamboats conquer western rivers Steamboats conquer western rivers N-S flow to Gulf of Mexico N-S flow to Gulf of Mexico Still looking for effective way to reach eastern seaboard Still looking for effective way to reach eastern seaboard Canal was option Canal was option Engineering Engineering Costs Costs New York looked promising New York looked promising Good geography—Lake Ontario Shoreline Good geography—Lake Ontario Shoreline

Erie Canal DeWitt Clinton—key figure DeWitt Clinton—key figure Believed possible—only 570 foot rise Believed possible—only 570 foot rise Convinces NYS legislature to build 364 mile canal Convinces NYS legislature to build 364 mile canal Longest to this point 28 miles Longest to this point 28 miles Begun in 1819 Finished 1825 Begun in 1819 Finished 1825 Most was handdug through forest lands Most was handdug through forest lands New immigrant labor New immigrant labor

Success Immediate success Immediate success Dramatically lowers transportation costs Dramatically lowers transportation costs $100 to $15 per ton $100 to $15 per ton Cuts travel time to 8 days Cuts travel time to 8 days Urban Development Urban Development Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse Agricultural Development Agricultural Development

Canal Boom Encouraged other states to develop comparable projects Encouraged other states to develop comparable projects Set off 20 year canal boom Set off 20 year canal boom Some effective, other much less so Some effective, other much less so Pennsylvania Canal—Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Canal—Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Combined canal and railroad tracking Combined canal and railroad tracking Most went bust because of overbuilding Most went bust because of overbuilding

Railroads First railroads connected cities to rivers and canals First railroads connected cities to rivers and canals B & O Railroad linked Baltimore to the rivers of the west B & O Railroad linked Baltimore to the rivers of the west Approx. 3,000 miles built between 1820 and 1840 Approx. 3,000 miles built between 1820 and 1840 Did not constitute a national or regional network Did not constitute a national or regional network Not until 1850’s did this emerge Not until 1850’s did this emerge

Impact Threatened to make other forms of transportation obsolete. Threatened to make other forms of transportation obsolete. New York Central vs. Erie Canal New York Central vs. Erie Canal Speed and low overall cost Speed and low overall cost Ability to go almost anywhere Ability to go almost anywhere Geography not a serious barrier. Geography not a serious barrier.

Overall impact Reduced time and money it took to move heavy goods Reduced time and money it took to move heavy goods Overall costs of moving goods dropped 95% between 1815 and Overall costs of moving goods dropped 95% between 1815 and Improvements in speed Improvements in speed Allowed for a national market to emerge Allowed for a national market to emerge Self-sustaining domestic markets Self-sustaining domestic markets Facilitates foreign trade Facilitates foreign trade