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Describe the development of improved methods of nineteenth-century domestic transportation. Identify the ways in which roads, canals, and railroads impacted Americans’ lives in the nineteenth century. Americans in the early 1800s were a people on the move, as thousands left the eastern coastal states for opportunities in the West.
- OpenStaxCollege
- 2014
Journey though the history of the United States to learn how transportation changed American lives and landscapes. See behind-the-scenes stories about collecting and preparing objects for the exhibition.
Human and animal power has been used extensively throughout American history, and is still used today to reach remote areas off the grid. But it is clear that improvements in transportation technology have been among the most powerful drivers of change in our history.
- They Opened Up The Country…
- … and Created A Nation of drivers.
- They Altered The American Landscape.
- They Helped Build The Suburbs.
- They Remade Cities.
- Small Towns Became Obsolete.
- The Railroad Industry declined.
- They Gave Rise to The Shopping Mall …
- … and Fast Food Restaurants.
- They Turbo-Charged The National Economy.
The first highways were a poorly maintained patchwork of routes, often called “trails,” that could be very difficult to navigate. The 1921 Federal Aid Highway Act laid the groundwork for government oversight and funding, which led to a system of numbered highways. As navigating the system became easier, and as cars became more affordable, millions ...
In 1910, there were less than 500,000 registered automobiles in America. By 1945, that number had ballooned to more than 15 million, and today there’s roughly one car for every person living in the U.S. In the span of a century, Americans have become inextricably linked to large, fast-moving machines and all the enjoyment, opportunities and respons...
The construction of America’s highways uprooted farms, brought down buildings and fundamentally altered ecosystems. Historians have also argued that highways changed the way Americans perceive their country. Drivers reveled in sweeping vistas but overlooked the finer details that rushed by in a blur. The rugged terrain, once so daunting, had been i...
In 1950, three quarters of Denver’s population lived inside the city limits. By 1970, that figure had dropped to 42 percent. What happened? Although Interstate highways were intended to service inner cities and move people out in case of an emergency, the lasting effect was permanent relocation. As highways branched out from cities, communities beg...
In addition to drawing residents away from urban areas, the Interstate System changed the landscape of many inner cities as roadway construction demolished houses and divided neighborhoods. President Eisenhower had stated he didn’t want the highways to run through cities, but he was unable to closely manage the project, and city officials, desperat...
Throughout the 19th and early 20thcenturies, America’s network of vibrant, self-sufficient small towns was a defining part of the national identity. Early highways connected towns, but Interstate highways bypassed many of them altogether. Local businesses suffered, people moved away, and as the American economy gained speed along its highway system...
Railroads made America. Throughout the 19thcentury, they were the primary mover of people and goods, from short hauls to transcontinental treks. But with the growth of the highway system, trains quickly became the more cumbersome form of transportation. Whereas trains had to leave from a particular place, at a particular time, cars moved at the whi...
As the Interstate System built up and suburban communities took root, retail commerce moved away from Main Street America and focused on highway interchanges and other high-traffic areas. Department stores, restaurants and other businesses clustered together, offering a “downtown away from downtown” experience that eventually morphed into the moder...
As with other businesses, restaurants evolved to serve a nation of drivers. Fast food, with its get-in-get-out model, was ideal for motorists, and the industry exploded after companies started setting up along Interstate off-ramps. Fast food also blossomed in the suburbs, where families were eager to eat meals outside their homes.
The development of America’s highways brought dramatic growth for a slew of industries, including construction, retail, auto, and oil. It also had a major impact on the tourism industry, with chain hotels popping up along interstates and newly accessible destinations expanding with the influx of travelers. Indeed, although America’s Interstate Syst...
The expansion of internal American trade greatly increased with the adoption of canals, steamboats, and railroads. These collective advances in technology became known as the Transportation Revolution. This increase in American industrialization in the nineteenth century directly influenced the rapid settlement of the West.
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Describe the development of improved methods of nineteenth-century domestic transportation. Identify the ways in which roads, canals, and railroads impacted Americans’ lives in the nineteenth century. Americans in the early 1800s were a people on the move, as thousands left the eastern coastal states for opportunities in the West.
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Learning Objectives. Describe the development of improved methods of nineteenth-century domestic transportation. Identify the ways in which roads, canals, and railroads impacted Americans’ everyday lives in the nineteenth century. American Commerce. The growth of the American economy reshaped daily life in the decades before the Civil War.
