8.40 Transportation and Trade 25-26?

Transportation and Trade in the Early
1800’s

8.40: Analyze the development of roads, canals, railroads, and steamboats throughout the U.S., including the Erie Canal and the National Road.

Building Roadways

The U.S. needed an inland method of transporting goods and travel.

Private companies built “turnpikes” (toll roads)

After Ohio became a state in 1803, it asked the federal government for a road to connect it to the east

In 1806, Congress approved the construction of a national road to the West

The national road followed a military route developed by George Washington

The national road went from Maryland to Illinois and connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers

Multiple Choice

An important purpose of the National Road was to __________

• promote industrialization of the upper Midwest.

• promote industrialization of the lower South.

• encourage settlement of the United States west of the Rocky Mountains.

• encourage settlement of the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains.

National Road Map

Traveling on Rivers

Advantages- smoother ride, more materials could be transported

Disadvantages- traveling downstream was easy, traveling upstream was difficult

The first steamboat was financed by Robert Livingston and built by Robert Fulton (The Clermont or North River Steamboat)

Steamboat travel made trade and transportation much easier and must faster

New Waterways

 Steamboat travel was limited to major rivers and no river linked the East to the West

 Business and government officials planned to build a canal (artificial waterway) connecting the Hudson River to the city of Buffalo on Lake Erie

 This would be known as The Erie Canal

The Erie Canal

 Many Irish immigrants were used to build the 363 mile canal.

 A system of locks allowed the water level to be raised or lowered.

 Many workers died of accidents and disease

 The canal opened in 1825 and allowed existing rivers and lakes to be connected to a wide area of the country

Multiple Choice

How did the construction of the Erie Canal improve transportation in the United States in the 1820s?

• The canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River.

• The canal connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

• The canal connected the Great Lakes to the Ohio River.

• The canal connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Canal Travel Expands

 At first the Erie Canal could not support steamboats so horses and mules bulled barges from the bank

 By the 1840’s the canals were strengthened to support steamboats

 The U.S. had 3,600 miles of canals by the 1840’s

 Canals lowered shipping costs and brought successful business to towns

Multiple Choice

In the early 1800s, how did canals make it easier for settlers and immigrants to travel westward to the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys?

• They connected rivers and lakes to create one continuous water passageway.

• They linked all roads to the National Road, which made it hard to get lost.

• They provided a direct route through the Appalachian mountain range

• They did not flood or freeze, which made travel easy all throughout the year.

1. Between 1862 & 1864, Congress passed the Pacific Railway Acts.

2. It subsidized the Central Pacific & Union Pacific railroad companies to build a transcontinental railroad.

3. Cheap immigrant labor built the railroad systems (Chinese & Irish)

4. Central Pacific started in Sacramento, CA & Union Pacific started in Omaha, NE.

5. On May 10, 1869, the 2 railroads met in the middle at Promontory, UT

​

Transcontinental Railroad

Multiple Choice

According to the map, where were the two railroads joined with a golden spike to complete the transcontinental railway?

• Promontory Summit

• Sacramento

• Omaha

• Idaho

Railroads: Speeding Up Travel and Trade

-As the country continued to grow, railroads emerged as another important mode of transportation. The first steam-powered locomotive in the United States was built in 1825, and the railroad industry quickly expanded. By the 1860s, railroads connected major cities and facilitated the movement of goods across vast distances.

-As the century progressed, railroads became the dominant form of transportation. They were faster and could carry larger loads than canals or roads.
-The first successful steam locomotive was built in the early 1800s, and by the 1850s, railroads were spreading across the nation.

-The Transcontinental Railroad, completed in 1869, connected the eastern United States with the western territories, further accelerating westward expansion.

Multiple Choice

According to the map, which did the Central Pacific company cross on its way to Utah?

• Sierra Nevada

• Colorado Territory

• Nebraska

• Rocky Mountains

Railroads: Speeding Up Travel and Trade

-Railroads revolutionized travel and trade by reducing the time it took to transport goods and people. They enabled faster movement of agricultural products, manufactured goods, and raw materials. The impact of railroads on the economy was profound, as they opened new markets and facilitated the growth of industries.

Railroads transformed the American landscape. They enabled faster travel and made it possible to transport heavy cargo, such as coal and steel, efficiently. The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 connected the eastern and western parts of the country, promoting trade and migration.

Multiple Choice

What effect did the development of the railroad system have on the steel industry?

• it increased supply and prices

• it decreased imports and taxes

• it increased production and demand

• it decreased exports and tariffs

Go to your Quizizz Class to complete the exit ticket.

This is a Quiz Grade!

​

8.40 Exit Ticket