USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Railroads became a major industry, stimulating other heavy industries such as iron and steel production. These advances in travel and transport helped drive settlement in the western regions of North America and were integral to the nation’s industrialization.

Detailed explanation-2: -Railroads opened up new markets for many different industries, including agriculture, mining, and manufacturing. Farmers could now ship their crops to cities and other states more easily and cheaply than ever before. Minerals and other resources could be transported from mines to factories more efficiently.

Detailed explanation-3: -Not only did the railroads transport raw materials used in industrial production, such as coal and iron ore, the railroads were also one of the largest consumers of raw materials in their own right. The growth of railroads thus led to growth in other industries, such as timber and coal.

Detailed explanation-4: -Since around 1860, the railroad was the center of the national market, transporting not only goods but also people and information. Restrictions on transportation that had existed prior to the American Civil War (1861–65), such as weather conditions and geographical distance, no longer factored into trade and commerce.