1. A Brief History of railroads in the United States

2. Railroads
Railroads played an important role in helping to develop the United States.
Huge fortunes were amassed by individuals who wielded tremendous power and influence.

3. Railroads America’s first railroad, the 13-mile Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad, was completed 1830.
Railroads replaced canal building as a means of moving freight.
By 1850, more than 9,000 miles of railroad were in operation.

4. Canals

5. A famous canal

6. Early Railroads

7. Railroads
Railroads provided a means for previously inaccessible areas to be developed; for mineral, timber, and agricultural products to get to market; and for the developed and undeveloped areas of a growing nation.

8. Railroads The early railroads connected cities and were short.
Technological differences prevented long train rides.
Early rail service was dangerous.

9. Railroads
After the Civil War, railroads began to open the country up to settlement.
Perhaps one of the greatest technological accomplishments of the 19th century was the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869.
This railroad was built primarily by Irish and Chinese immigrants.

10. Railroads Promontory Point, Utah, 1869

11. Railroads