Summary

In 1830, the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company introduced the first steam locomotive, followed by America’s first intercity line, the Baltimore and Ohio.

By 1850, helped by federal grants, 9,000 miles of railroad connected all Eastern and Midwest cities, transporting minerals, timber, and crops, and by 1860 80% of farms in the Ohio to Iowa ‘Corn Belt’ lay within five miles of a rail line.

During the Civil War, the Union’s rail network transported troops and supplies quickly, helping the North’s success.

The South had opposed westward rail expansion, so by 1860, railroads had not crossed the Mississippi. However in 1862, after secession, Congress was able to pass the Pacific Railroad Act to connect east and west, assigning two companies – Central Pacific and Union Pacific – to build a transcontinental line. Over 21,000 labourers, including Chinese immigrants, endured harsh conditions to complete it in 1869, allowing people to travel from New York to San Francisco in six days.

From 1869 to 1875, the rail network grew rapidly, with lines connecting Western cities to the transcontinental lines, and Southern railroads being rebuilt and expanded during Reconstruction. This enabled the development of cattle-ranching, helped the homesteaders settle the Plains, created a national market and unified the nation.

However, by the 1870s, powerful ‘railroad barons’ like JP Morgan and Cornelius Vanderbilt controlled the industry, leading to abuses. Many rail companies failed in the 1873 financial panic, causing widespread economic hardship and worker strikes. The Interstate Commerce Act (1887) and Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) prevented monopolies and enforced fair prices.

By 1917, American railroads spanned 254,000 miles, employing 1.8 million workers.

Write a narrative account analysing the spread of the US railroad network

Beginnings of the Railroad Boom (1830-1860)

The South Carolina Canal and Rail Road was the first Company to use a steam locomotive – the Best Friend of Charleston, used by the revenue service (December 1830).

America’s first intercity railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio, was completed in 1830, and by the end of the 1830s, a network of short railroad lines connected major cities in the Eastern states for mineral, timber and agricultural products to get to market. By 1850, more than 9,000 miles of railroad were in operation and, through the 1850s, the network expanded into the Midwest, connecting towns like Chicago with the East. The federal government supported this expansion by granting land and providing financial backing; by 1860, in the ‘Corn Belt’ (from Ohio to Iowa), 80%+ of farms were within 5 miles of a railroad.

The Civil War and Railroad Expansion (1861-1869)

The North’s victory in the Civil War was partly due to its well-organized rail network, which allowed it to transport troops, supplies, and equipment quickly. During the war, the Union laid thousands of miles of track and introduced improvements such as a standardized track gauge.

Despite these advances, however, by 1860, railroads had not yet crossed the Mississippi River, leaving the Western United States largely inaccessible by rail – a situation largely because the Southern states had blocked westward rail expansion before 1860.

However, in 1856 Theodore Judah – chief engineer of the Sacramento Valley Railroad – had planned a manageable route Sierra Nevada mountains and, when secession the freed Congress, it passed the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862, authorising and financing (with bonds and land grants) a standard gauge transcontinental line: the Central Pacific (from the west) and the Union Pacific (from the east).

21,000 Chinese immigrants, Irish labourers, and former Civil War soldiers literally moved mountains to lay 1,776 miles of track, at a cost of $60 million, despite Native American raids, extreme weather, accidents, and a mass-strike of Chinese works in 1867 in protest at their appalling conditions and discriminatory pay. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, with the driving of a ‘Golden Spike’. The transcontinental railroad allowed travel from New York to San Francisco Bay in only six days

The Railroad Network Expands Rapidly (1869-1875)

Between 1869 and 1875, the railroad network grew at a rapid pace, facilitated by federal land grants, investments from Eastern financiers, and a growing demand for transportation. New lines branched out from the transcontinental route, connecting Western cities (such as Salt Lake City), mining towns, and agricultural regions with Eastern markets. Companies such as the Northern Pacific and the Southern Pacific expanded networks into the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the Southwest.

meanwhile, during Reconstruction, 1865-77, Northern companies were rebuilding the Southern railroads, which expanded from 11,000 miles in 1870 to 29,000 miles in 1890. The railroads in the South changed from a 5-foot gauge to standard gauge of 4 foot 8 ½ inches in two days in May 1886.

The railroads enabled the development of cattle-ranching, and helped the homesteaders settle the Plains. They created a national US economy, and strengthened national unity.

The ‘Railroad Kings’ (1870-1900)

The later years of the railroads were as much about preventing abuses as about expanding the network. The rapid rise of the railroad industry had given ‘railroad barons’ such as JP Morgan and Cornelius Vanderbilt vast huge fortunes and influence over the economy and politics. Many railroads were speculative investments, and competed with each other. So, when the ‘Panic of 1873’ hit the United States, many railroad companies went bankrupt, causing a general economic depression. This led to the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, public anger and demands for regulation. In 1887, Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act, establishing the Interstate Commerce Commission to oversee railroad practices and ensure fair rates.

The railroad network continued to expand, though at a slower pace. The federal government granted fewer subsidies, and were wary of railroad monopolies. When JP Morgan organised a conference of Railroad Presidents in 1889, Congress responded by passing the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) prohibiting monopolies and anticompetitive agreements.

By 1917, the 1,500 US railroads operated around 254,000 miles and employed 1.8 million people – more than any other industry.