Throughout the decades of 1860 to the 1890’s, there has been many changes to the history on the
American map. One of the most obvious to it’s changes is the development of it’s railroad network
moving westward. As railroad tracks were laid, they helped develop growth and connection of major
cities, opening new land for agriculture, and the settlement of states and territories.
Therefore, there are many reasons why the rail system helped build America and its growth. The U.S. Government saw the
importance if its technology and improvement. They both shared the same vision for growth and advancement of the companies, and how they would benefit by working together. They
gave rail companies land grants to lay track and sell the land to finance there movement westward. In
1862, the Federal Government passed the Homestead Act to attract settlers to the west. Railroad
companies
played a key role to the early settlers by promoting the act with affordable travel .These companies took the millions of immigrants pouring from the east coast ports and distribute them across the continent. There wasn’t many other ways in that time that we could of settled in this country without the settlers or the railroads.
competing for them in order to sell as much land as possible. They sent company recruitment all over Europe For this, the population in the west largely
increased with railroad technology. It brought one of the most profound changes in the country
by providing faster transportation. The western railroads didn’t just link towns they created them.
People settled around where train stations were build. This helped settlements turn into towns and some
towns turned into large industrious cities. Most of the country began seeing what the benefits of faster
transportation that they became so reliant on the railroad tracks. They saw that they could export and
receive goods from state to state with freight transportation. It helped revolutionized how American
business was conducted. For the first time iron, farm goods, and even perishable goods from the
Midwest could be shipped east at a profit. It allowed Americans all over the country to be able to obtain fresh food. Able to transport almost everything under the sun really helped transform its economy tremendously.