The Transportation Revolution

 Traveling in the United States in the early 1800’s was not easy, individuals relied on themselves, horses, and water and wind power, which were often unpredictable  But during the mid 1800’s the United States experienced the Transportation Revolution, which was a period of rapid growth in the speed and convenience of travel because of new methods of transportation  These improvements were made possible by two inventions, the steamboat and steam-powered train  This revolution created a boom in business around the country, reduced shipping times and costs and enabled goods, people and information to travel rapidly across the United States

Steamboats  In 1803 Robert Fulton successfully tested the first steamboat and in 1807 successfully tested the first full- sized commercial steamboat in America called the Clermont  The steamboat was well suited to river travel as it could easily move upriver and did not rely on wind power  They increased trade and profits as goods and people could be moved quickly and cheaply  Increased steamboat use led to conflict over waterway rights (who can use certain bodies of water)  In the Supreme Court case Gibbons v. Ogden, the Court reinforced the federal governments right to regulate trade between states by ending total control of waterways by several states  This ruling freed up waters and resulted in even more trade and shipping

American Railroads  Railroads and the steam-powered train revolutionized overland travel  First invented in the early 1800’s in GBR, they did not become popular in the U.S till the 1830’s when Peter Cooper and his locomotive Tom Thumb raced a horse  While ultimately losing because the train broke down, the race showcased the power and speed of the steam- powered train and railroad fever soon spread  By 1840 U.S RR companies had laid over 2,800 miles of RR track, more than existed in all of Europe  By 1860 more than 30,000 miles of track had been laid, and linked almost every major city in the eastern U.S  The economy boomed again and the RR companies became some of the most powerful businesses in the nation  Nobody had ever traveled this fast before as the avg. train went 20 mph  Riding on early trains was an adventure, and also potentially dangerous

The Transportation Revolution Changes America  RR’s and steamboats made it easier to get goods to distant markets quicker and cheaper  Both helped develop a national economy, but most of the wealth was centered in the North  RR’s helped expand the nation and guide population growth as towns would pop up along RR’s and cities grew as trains brought new residents and raw materials  The Transportation Revolution also increased the use of certain natural resources that had not been used previously  Most notably, was coal, as it produced more energy then wood at a much cheaper cost  As the railroads helped cities and towns across the nation grow, they also helped other industries grow as the demand for lumber and paper goods also increased and more farmland was needed feed the growing population  The RR’s also did increase deforestation, as more land was used for farming, lumber, and coal mines