Economy After The Civil War Essay

Some of the other significant events that happened during Lincoln's presidency include the Homestead Act of 1862, which encouraged the settlement of the western territories, and the establishment of the Department of Agriculture. He also oversaw the construction of the transcontinental railroad, which helped to connect the East and West coasts of the United States and was a significant step forward in the country's economic

The American 16th president Abraham Lincoln approved the Pacific Railway Act of 1862, giving building contracts to only two railroad companies. The railroad later becomes a symbol of unity between the broken American nation. The construction of the railroad helped build the foundation of the transportation

Railroads aided heavily in advancing the transport of goods and supplies to the front lines, where they were needed the most. The only “disadvantage of this was the railroads became a prime target for attacks” (Civil War

The railroad was vital in the setting of the west for the American people. The Pacific Railway Act gave the American people a much easier way of travel to the east. This made it more likely for large families to participate in the expansion due to the lack of hardship that many encountered during the Oregon Trail. The Act gave the Union Pacific Railroad the expansion from Nebraska west, while the Central Pacific Railroad moved from California east. Thus, the first railroad was completed when the two companies finally connected in Promontory Point, Utah in spring 1869.

Specifically, between 1869 and 1890, it enabled the westward expansion that allowed the creation of more settlements in the Midwestern plains all through to the West Coast. The rail route also served a significant role in designating administrative posts and even urban settlements that later evolved into the major cities. It is a fair statement to conclude, the majority of the factors that make America what it is today including technology, democracy, and culture to include immigration, can all be traced to the westward expansion of the railroad

1. The railroads affected the American economy in all positive ways according to the U.S. Senate Report. The railroads increased the value of property, made materials like coal more valuable, and provided a route for coal to travel to New York. The railroads positively impacted the American economy because they increased the value of property. The U.S. Senate Report states, “Railroads in the United States exert a much greater influence upon the value of property than in other countries…

Trains and railroads established a new wave of economic growth that hadn’t been seen before in the United States. Wages were now higher, goods were and still are produced better and more efficiently, and new markets are now open. Now in the modern day, there is a variety of job opportunities and career choices to choose from that have sprouted from the use of railroads. Especially with the transportation of goods now, businesses can now be quicker without a time restraint limit like there was before. Trains and railroads also pioneered the economy which is now seen as one of America’s successes.

As a result, the economy overall became stronger, and they made a large profit. Railroads were the very first pieces of technology to have a major impact on the American economy ("Railroads in the Civil War" 42). Rails transported an unheard of amount of troops and supplies while also introducing the first ironclad railcars, which could carry lots of artillery and massive weapons. As a result, even current militaries in the United States use these types of railcars. If it weren't for the Secretary of War Stanton and his idea of railroads, the Union would have had a slimmer chance of succeeding in their final victory.

In the past, however, the experience that came with traveling was one of hardship. To venture even from one state to another could mean that one was to go through a long journey, spanning the time of weeks, even possibly months, riddled with threats along the way. This only became more evident as the USA expanded further and further west through extreme climates and mountainous terrain. It was clear that the US needed, more than anything at the time, a safe, quick, inexpensive way to travel long distances. To combat this issue, the Pacific Railroad Act was signed in 1862.

The American civil war led to the reunion of the South and the North. But, its consequences led the Republicans to take the lead of reconstructing what the war had destroyed especially in the South because it contained larger numbers of newly freed slaves. Just after the civil war, America entered into what was called as the reconstruction era. Reconstruction refers to when “the federal government established the terms on which rebellious Southern states would be integrated back into the Union” (Watts 246). As a further matter, it also meant “the process of helping the 4 million freed slaves after the civil war [to] make the transition to freedom” (DeFord and Schwarz 96).

The War Between the States was one of America’s greatest wars—it was the fight for freedom, but it also impacted the economy. Because of this, America’s labor and transportation systems both took a significant turn during the Civil War, impacting America’s economy forever. In the end, the American Civil War greatly benefitted our transportation system, but devastated the South’s labor force. For a war to be fought strategically well, there first must be a form of simple, yet speedy, transportation. That is where the transcontinental railroad came in.

As a result of the Industrial Revolution, the Civil War was a time of technological advancements and patents that ultimately turned the tide and gave the Union an advantage over the Confederacy. The development of railroads, the telegraph, and new weapons contributed to the Union defeat of the Confederacy in 1865. Chiefly, one of the Union’s greatest asset during the war was their expansive railroad system. After the start of the Civil War, President Lincoln placed all railroads within the Union under government control in order to expedite the movement of troops and much-needed supplies. The 22,000 miles of railroad track resembled TENTACLES that spread throughout the Union, deploying troops and supplies at record speeds, and allowing for reinforcements to arrive quickly and efficiently.

Trade with China became much easier; ships could travel straight to California and then the goods could be transported across the United States. Families that wanted to move west now had an easier, safer way of travel. Railroads carried people, therefore contributing to the development of the West. Railroads helped shape and grow cities and towns. The railroad grew in power and size, influencing local and state governments.

With the advent of the railroad, many of these issues disappeared. Railroads had a major impact on advancing the American economy, transforming America into a modern society, and improving an antiquated transportation system. The building of railroads created rapid economic growth in America. Railroad companies employed more than one million workers to build and maintain railroads. At the same time, coal, timber, and steel industries employed thousands of workers to provide the supplies necessary to build railroads (Chapter 12 Industrialization).

The Homestead Act and Pacific Railway Act were both implemented by the government in hopes of igniting Westward expansion. The Homestead Act was finalized in 1862, it allowed “any head of a family or anyone older than 21 could have 160 acres of public land on the payment of small fees” (W&R,133). In short, the Homestead Act allowed the expansion towards the West to be affordable and later (with the introduction of railways) it would prove profitable. The Pacific Railway Act was also passed in 1862 and it “granted a charter of incorporation to the Union Pacific Railroad, which was authorized to build a line from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to the western boundary of Nevada. The Central Pacific, incorporated under the laws of California in 1861, was