The Railroad and Steam Powered Locomotives
Prior to the steam engine, land transportation was inefficient and slow. Railcars were often horse drawn, which had severely limited haul and speed ("History"). This changed in the early 1800’s when arguably the greatest potential of the steam engine was achieved, the locomotive. In 1815, the American John Stevens obtained a charter for a steam-powered railway locomotive (Bellis "Railroad"). In 1827 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was built, but it still relied on horse drawn railcars. Over the next ten years, the steam engine locomotives would take over. Two goals emerged for railroads: transporting people quickly and transporting massive shipments long distances. By 1832, the lighter passenger transport trains could achieve 60 miles per hour, and the larger shipping trains could haul 50 tons ("Railroad Timeline").
With these capabilities achieved, the demand for railways boomed and America quickly became an interconnected mesh of railroads. Speculators began building railroads to the west, accelerating the westward expansion of the United States across the continent (Bellis "Railroad"). By 1840 railroads surpassed canals and steamboats as the most efficient method of transportation. The railroads would continue to grow after the Civil War and eventually stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Canada to Mexico, and everywhere in between. Despite directly aiding to the literal expansion of the country, the steam engine locomotive shrank America in the sense that travel times were reduced to mere fractions of their previous amounts.
With these capabilities achieved, the demand for railways boomed and America quickly became an interconnected mesh of railroads. Speculators began building railroads to the west, accelerating the westward expansion of the United States across the continent (Bellis "Railroad"). By 1840 railroads surpassed canals and steamboats as the most efficient method of transportation. The railroads would continue to grow after the Civil War and eventually stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Canada to Mexico, and everywhere in between. Despite directly aiding to the literal expansion of the country, the steam engine locomotive shrank America in the sense that travel times were reduced to mere fractions of their previous amounts.
Sources
History of Railroads and Maps. American Memory from the Library of Congress. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/rrhtml/rrintro.html
Bellis, M. Railroad Invention and History. About.com Inventors. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrailroad.htm
Railroad Timeline History. Railroad Timeline History. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://www.sdrm.org/history/timeline/
History of Railroads and Maps. American Memory from the Library of Congress. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/rrhtml/rrintro.html
Bellis, M. Railroad Invention and History. About.com Inventors. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrailroad.htm
Railroad Timeline History. Railroad Timeline History. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://www.sdrm.org/history/timeline/