What role did the railroads play in the development of the West?

What role did the railroads play in the development of the West?

What role did railroads play in western settlement, industrialization, and agriculture? They allowed goods produced in the west, especially agricultural products like wheat, to be shipped to eastern markets, while also allowing eastern settlers to quickly move into unsettled lands in the west.

How did railroads help to conquer the West quizlet?

Railroads helped the economy by transporting people, raw materials, and manufactured goods across the nation. By selling land around the tracks and employing a huge number of workers, railroads helped encourage the settlement of the West.

How did the railroads encourage economic growth in the West?

How did the railroads encourage economic growth in the West? They connected the goods produced in one part of the country with consumers in another part of the country. The cattle industry needed the railroads to transport beef. The price of beef dropped due to oversupply.

What were three groups living in the West during the 1800s?

Terms in this set (6)

• Mexicanos. Spanish-speaking citizens of Mexico until 1848; lived in California and Southwest; lived and worked on ranchos.
• Forty-niners.
• Chinese Immigrants.
• Mormons.
• Oregon Pioneers.
• Nez Perce.

  What is the most important factor that helped settle the West?

  The establishment of roads and canals, and later, railroads, was a critical factor in the settlement of the West.

  Why did Chinese immigrants have more difficulty asserting their rights?

  Why did Chinese immigrants have more difficulty asserting their rights than immigrants from Europe? They were not allowed to become U.S. citizens. Chinese workers took American jobs by agreeing to work for lower wages.

  How did advancements in technology impact the economy of the West?

  New technologies aided farmers and cattlemen in places where standard fencing materials were scarce. Technological advances increased the speed of correspondence from months to weeks and then to minutes. Each technological advance further opened the West and helped bind the growing country together.

  How was life in the West?

  Much of the West had a drier climate than that of the East, and western terrain often proved much harsher. As a result, immigrants to the West had to adapt and find new ways of doing things to survive. Their efforts were aided by improvements in transportation, communication, farm equipment, and other areas.

  What was life like for pioneers in the West?

  The pioneers were as varied as human nature. Some were adventurous and independent. Some were irresponsible and lazy, like the Indiana squatter who moved eight times without ever clearing timber or fencing a field.

  How did the railroads help develop the west?

  Railroads have long played an imperative role in the history of the United States, as they built up towns and cities throughout the mid-west and western states. For many rural communities, the railroads were their only connection to the cities, as they were utilized to ship goods and services from rural farmers, throughout the country.

  When did the US grant land to railroads?

  From the 1850s to 1871, the federal government established huge land grants to the railroads up to 170 million acres for laying tracks in the West. For that, both the Union Pacific and Central Pacific were granted with 10 square miles of public land.

  Why was the railroad important in the late 19th century?

  Life in the camps was often very crude and rough. By 1900, much of the nation’s railroad system was in place. The railroad opened the way for the settlement of the West, provided new economic opportunities, stimulated the development of town and communities, and generally tied the country together.

  How did the US build the transcontinental railroads?

  Four of the five transcontinental railroads were built with assistance from the federal government through land grants. Receiving millions of acres of public lands from Congress, the railroads were assured land on which to lay the tracks and land to sell, the proceeds of which helped companies finance the construction of their railroads.