Industrial Revolution: Steam Power

In the 1860s, how would a new railroad through a small Iowa town most likely affect residents’ daily lives?

• Increase access to city goods and travel farther

• Limit movement to within thirty miles of home

• Reduce contact with nearby towns and markets

Which statement best defines the Transportation Revolution in the United States during the 1800s?

• A campaign to limit business expansion across regions

• A movement to reduce taxes on imported railroad materials

• A period of rapid growth in speed and convenience of travel

Which statement best explains why Robert Fulton’s Clermont was important to transportation in the United States?

• It proved steam power could move boats upriver reliably

• It showed sails were faster than engines on rivers

• It proved ocean steamships were faster than clipper ships

In what decade were steamboats first developed?

• Mid 1800s decade

• Late 1700s decade

• Early 1600s decade

Look at the diagrams of the steamboat Clermont. Which feature best explains why it could travel upriver without relying on wind?

• Large paddle wheels powered by a steam engine

• Rowers using long oars along both sides

• Tall triangular sails catching steady river breezes

By 1840, about how many steamboats were operating in the United States?

• More than five hundred vessels nationwide

• Around fifty vessels on major rivers

• About one hundred vessels on coastal routes

Where were steam-powered trains first developed in the early 1800s?

• France

• United States

• Great Britain

Fill in the blank: Peter Cooper built a small but powerful locomotive called the (a)   .

By about 1840, roughly how many miles of railroad tracks had been laid in the United States?

• About 2,800 miles

• About 280 miles

• About 28,000 miles

Which challenge did U.S. railroads often face during early construction?

• Running over steep mountains

• Crossing shallow ponds

• Building only straight tracks