Transportation and Communication

1. Transportation and Communication

2. Eras of Transportation • Turnpike & River Era 1790s-1820s • Canal Era 1825-1840s • Railroad Era 1850s-1940s • Automobile Era 1920s-present

3. Roads, such as turnpikes worked for a short time. Why would roadways become inefficient by the late 1820s? Solution: Older methods become new again! What do I mean by the above solution?

4. Transportation Impacts… • Communication and Trade • Rivers become more popular  Mississippi and Ohio • “Middle-man” trade was not economically beneficial • Direct trade was necessary

5. Canals Why were canals a better alternative to river transportation and roadways? Keep in mind Erie Canal in current $ 4 Billion 4 feet deep  40 feet wide

6. Funding and Construction • Very expensive  State governments had to pay • Why was NY first? And What was the goal of building these canals? • Connect the East and West • What were the benefits of this connection?

7. NY  The empire State • Canals are difficult to build  you attempt to control the flow of water  Technological and engineering innovations were necessary • NYC becomes the growing center of the United States • Connects Eastern manufacturing centers with Farmers in the West

8. Advantage and Impact • “Clinton’s Ditch”  Spanned Monroe and early JQA presidency • 8 years of construction  Immediate success for NY  tolls paid for construction costs • Connected NY to Great Lakes(Chicago and “the West” • Movement of people and movement of goods now possible

9. Transportation • How would this help the growing nation?

11. Railroads • NY built canals  other states needed to level the playing field • Appalachian Mountains • Originally built to connect canals and waterways • Baltimore and Ohio RR company

12. TRANSPORTATION REVOLUTION • Railroads • Baltimore & Ohio RR (1830) • short lines • trunk lines

13. Slow Growth • Disorganized scheduling • Different gauges(widths)  not every car could move smoothly from short line to short line or from state to state • By 1840  railroads were becoming the main transportation source • 1850  track construction tripled • Construction of trunk lines

14. Funding • Private American investors • Local governments • And federal government  land grants • How was this different than canals? And what impact would that have on the growth of railroads?

15. Communication Improvement • Canals and Railroads allowed people to move west, but how would they stay connected on a daily basis to the rest of the country • The telegraph  magnetic paired with train tracks  easy to run wires • Samuel B. Morse • Western Union Telegraph Company  consolidation of most independent lines

16. Associated Press • Used telegraph to spread news from around the nation quicker • Horace Greeley’s The Herald andJames Gordon Bennett’s Tribune • What purpose would this serve? • Southern development lagged in this area as well

17. Exit • When reviewing the transportation and communication improvements made during the 1800s • What are the benefits and who benefitted? • What are the drawbacks as a unified nation?