Essay On Transcontinental Railroad
The Railroad And Its Influence on Frontier Life The technological innovation of the railroad was a very impressive feat. Not one person can be credited with the invention, as it involved the discovery of iron and steel along with the steam engine (Railroad Invention and History). The Transcontinental Railroad is one of many inventions of the Gilded Age, including the telephone, electricity, light bulbs, and skyscrapers. Of course, all of these inventions were essential to the time period, however, the railroad was the most influential to frontier life because no other invention altered as many aspects of life as the railroad with its changes to the environment, population, and development of the West. The railroad lead to some important
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alterations in the environment during the Gilded Age that make it a leading influence on the frontier. There were many buffalo in the West originally, however, the railroad caused a drastic depletion in their population. Buffalo were not only a good source of food that the railroad made available, they also would interfere with the train tracks. In turn, the shooting of buffalo turned into a sport of sorts, that lead to a near extinction of the species. Furthermore, the construction of railroads required a large amount of wood, especially before the invention of steel and iron. Even after the train tracks were replaced with steel, a large amount of trees had to be cut down to make way for the tracks and the boom towns along the train tracks. Clearly, this caused a drop in trees during the Gilded Age. The environmental changes began to concern the public, and eventually Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Sequoia National Park were created. Because of the huge environmental changes caused by the railroads, the railroad was a very influential part of frontier life. The population was also greatly affected by the rise of railroads in America. As railroads pushed further West, they began to intrude on Native American lands. Of course, this was a point of friction. Battles/Massacres occurred in this struggle for land along the train tracks, leading to serious deaths on both sides. The Native American population decreased severely because the railroads were invented. The railroads also played a very large part in populating the frontier. Essentially, they connected “the world to the West and the West to the world” (Machine:Gold Spike). Boom towns and cities were exploding in the West due to the relative ease of traveling and settling. Railroads brought about the Homestead Act, which nearly gave land in the West away. The railroads essentially brought about a population boom throughout the entire country that lead to the end of the frontier. What other technological innovation of the time period could influence the frontier life as much as the railroads end to frontier altogether? Not only does the railroad affect the environment and the population of the frontier, it also was the reason for several developments of life on the frontier.
The railroad is responsible for a lot of the agricultural development of the Gilded Age. Agriculture was spreading further and further West due to the railroad. In fact, the railroad helped agriculture spread past the 100th meridian. A geologist named John Wesley Powell warned that this meridian line was the line that separated land that got more than 20 annual inches of rain, and the land that did not receive 20 inches of rain every year. This led to dry farming, which was a main reason for the Dust Bowl. Therefore, the railroads are also partially responsible for the Dust Bowl. Also, passing the 100th meridian also lead to the rise of a new crop of Russian wheat. Railroads also affect the farmers by pushing the to develop a form of union. Railroad companies were fixing the freight prices unfairly against the farmers. The farmers anger about this issue is one of the main reasons that they decided to unite and form The Grange and The Farmers’ Alliance. Also, railroads altered the meat packing industry because cattle in the west could go back to Eastern cities much more effectively than before. The railroads played a role in all of these developments, which make it “an essential artery for rapid development of the frontier” (End of the
Frontier). Of course, many technological innovations of the Gilded Age were important in some way or another. The telephone changed communication, pasteurization greatly improved health, and the electricity largely changed culture. However, the railroad is responsible for so many changes in the frontier. The railroad influenced the environment of the frontier, the population of the frontier lands, and many developments. No other invention of the time period can boast as many influential aspects to the frontier as the railroads can, making it the most influential of the time.
Works Cited
Bailey, Thomas Andrew, David M. Kennedy, and Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Print.
"End of the Frontier." AP U.S. History Topic Outlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2013.
"Machine:Golden Spike." Machine:Golden Spike. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2013.
"Railroad Invention and History." Railroad Invention and History. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2013.
alterations in the environment during the Gilded Age that make it a leading influence on the frontier. There were many buffalo in the West originally, however, the railroad caused a drastic depletion in their population. Buffalo were not only a good source of food that the railroad made available, they also would interfere with the train tracks. In turn, the shooting of buffalo turned into a sport of sorts, that lead to a near extinction of the species. Furthermore, the construction of railroads required a large amount of wood, especially before the invention of steel and iron. Even after the train tracks were replaced with steel, a large amount of trees had to be cut down to make way for the tracks and the boom towns along the train tracks. Clearly, this caused a drop in trees during the Gilded Age. The environmental changes began to concern the public, and eventually Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Sequoia National Park were created. Because of the huge environmental changes caused by the railroads, the railroad was a very influential part of frontier life. The population was also greatly affected by the rise of railroads in America. As railroads pushed further West, they began to intrude on Native American lands. Of course, this was a point of friction. Battles/Massacres occurred in this struggle for land along the train tracks, leading to serious deaths on both sides. The Native American population decreased severely because the railroads were invented. The railroads also played a very large part in populating the frontier. Essentially, they connected “the world to the West and the West to the world” (Machine:Gold Spike). Boom towns and cities were exploding in the West due to the relative ease of traveling and settling. Railroads brought about the Homestead Act, which nearly gave land in the West away. The railroads essentially brought about a population boom throughout the entire country that lead to the end of the frontier. What other technological innovation of the time period could influence the frontier life as much as the railroads end to frontier altogether? Not only does the railroad affect the environment and the population of the frontier, it also was the reason for several developments of life on the frontier.
The railroad is responsible for a lot of the agricultural development of the Gilded Age. Agriculture was spreading further and further West due to the railroad. In fact, the railroad helped agriculture spread past the 100th meridian. A geologist named John Wesley Powell warned that this meridian line was the line that separated land that got more than 20 annual inches of rain, and the land that did not receive 20 inches of rain every year. This led to dry farming, which was a main reason for the Dust Bowl. Therefore, the railroads are also partially responsible for the Dust Bowl. Also, passing the 100th meridian also lead to the rise of a new crop of Russian wheat. Railroads also affect the farmers by pushing the to develop a form of union. Railroad companies were fixing the freight prices unfairly against the farmers. The farmers anger about this issue is one of the main reasons that they decided to unite and form The Grange and The Farmers’ Alliance. Also, railroads altered the meat packing industry because cattle in the west could go back to Eastern cities much more effectively than before. The railroads played a role in all of these developments, which make it “an essential artery for rapid development of the frontier” (End of the
Frontier). Of course, many technological innovations of the Gilded Age were important in some way or another. The telephone changed communication, pasteurization greatly improved health, and the electricity largely changed culture. However, the railroad is responsible for so many changes in the frontier. The railroad influenced the environment of the frontier, the population of the frontier lands, and many developments. No other invention of the time period can boast as many influential aspects to the frontier as the railroads can, making it the most influential of the time.
Works Cited
Bailey, Thomas Andrew, David M. Kennedy, and Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Print.
"End of the Frontier." AP U.S. History Topic Outlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2013.
"Machine:Golden Spike." Machine:Golden Spike. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2013.
"Railroad Invention and History." Railroad Invention and History. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2013.