The growth of the railroads fueled the economic expansion of the United States in the late 1860s. Railroads made an impact on every aspect of American life. It made the transportation of goods and people vastly quicker, cheaper, and more reliable. Their construction provided jobs, helped attract immigrants, and helped bring the country closer together. Click here to view a railroad map of the United States in 1870.
Reflection: Examining the map, what connection do you notice between cities that are important in the United States today and railroad location in 1870? Where are they concentrated? What modern major cities are not along railroads, especially in Texas? What does that tell you about their relative importance in 1870?
Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Many current major U.S. cities were located along the railroad lines in 1870 including New York, Boston, Detroit, Denver, and San Francisco. All along the rail lines are major cities. However, they are mostly concentrated in the Northeast and Midwestern part of the United States.
Many important Southern and Western cities, especially when you leave the coastline, do not have a railroad connection. The Texas cities of Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio are all not on the map. Only Galveston is labeled, which suggests (as was the case) that Galveston was the most important Texas city in 1870.
In the following activity, you will examine a much more simplified version of the railroad map above, with just four destinations marked: New York, Chicago, Topeka, and San Francisco. Each destination tells part of the story about how the growth of the railroads contributed to the development of the United States. Ride the rails across the United States to learn about each stop.
Now that you know a little more about some of the destinations where a person could go on the railroad to try and make a living, you will meet a series of individuals who are looking to change their lives in 1870. Watch the video then buy them a ticket to the right city for their dreams.