How did railroads help the economic growth of America?

Answer 1

Railroads provided a greater market for goods, both agricultural and industrial; they connected all ends of the country, allowing for more widespread business and horizontal and vertical integration with Carnegie and Standard Oil, since materials could come from further away. Building the railroads also provided jobs.

Answer 2

Commerce increased between the states allowing over 50 million dollars worth of cargo to be shipped every year from 1869-1879. Goods from Asia and raw materials from the West were shipped to the East faster than ever. The West began to catch up with the Eastern way of life as many more people could now move west and the products of the manufacturing boom were shipped to the West.

Answer 3

It opened up the West to commerce. Cattle could be driven to market at the rail-heads for shipment to the Chicago slaughterhouses. Homesteaders could ship their produce East to bigger markets. Gold and silver oar could be processed and shipped to Eastern banks without having to go by sea around South America. Having said that, some fairly recent economic models contend that the GNP would have been roughly the same, with more emphasis on the East instead of the West.

Answer 4

It allowed western cities to become more popular and more states became states.

Answer 5

Manufactured goods could be shipped westward, and cattle and grain could be shipped eastward.