Ch. 6.2:
The railroads did many good things for our country in the late 1800's and early 1900's, but they also did things that really ticked people off. Some of the good things that the railroads did were increase trade, boomed towns (if that makes sense), lowered unemployment rates, made travel quicker, the trains were safer than wagons, and there was more comfort for passengers.
For the increase of trade, the trains made it easier and faster to transport goods from one place to another from the harbors to their destinations. Along with the increase of trade, it created a booming of towns, making them larger in population, business, and income.
The lowering of unemployment rates is and was always a big deal. It means more jobs for people and who doesn't want that? In the circle of the economy, the trains helped the country make more money, which helped businesses, which created more jobs, which help the country make more money, and so on. The economy is/was better with a low unemployment rate.
The railroads cut the travel time by 90%....that is some impressive time saving. With faster travel times, the businesses were able to ship and receive things from across the country in a shorter amount of time. That helped the economy to boom even more.
With a train, so many bad instances can be avoided...unlike a wagon. If an axle breaks on a wagon, people traveling on them could be stuck for a very long time in the middle of nowhere. It doesn't mean that the trains were indestructible, but steel/iron is just a bit more sturdy than would...just a bit :). Along with safer travel, they weren't roughing it either. With the comfortable seats the luxury of service by train attendants, it was better than a small wooden bench with the stench of cows that pulled you along a bumpy trail in a run-down wagon....wouldn't you think?
Although they did make many things better and easier, the railroads and the railroad companies weren't exactly the perfect systems. There were many construction costs for the continuous building of railroads, risks for workers and passengers that were very hard to avoid, such as engines breaking down and wrecks. No one could predict a wreck or the accidental on-the-job death of a railway worker. They would just happen.
There were many that were very upset with the railroad companies because they were misusing land grants from the government and selling them to large businesses. That didn't set well with some people. A group called the Grangers fought with the railroad companies, and from that emerged the Interstate Commerce Act. That act allowed the government to supervise the railroad's activities and make sure they were doing what they were supposed to.
Sources:
-My blog notes
-http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/eme/17/FC112
-Google Images
Comments
Well done!