WESTWARD EXPANSION INDUSTRIALIZATION URBANIZATION 1870 1900
AMERICAN INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT IN THE GILDED AGE
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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Transcontinental Railroad
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Bessemer Process
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Either A or B
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None of the above
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Detailed explanation-1: -Railroads completely transformed the United States socially, politically, and economically during the Gilded Age. Literally the engine of the new industrialized economy, they facilitated the speedy transportation of raw materials and finished goods from coast to coast.
Detailed explanation-2: -By connecting the existing eastern U.S. rail networks to the west coast, the Transcontinental Railroad (known originally as the “Pacific Railroad") became the first continuous railroad line across the United States. It was constructed between 1863 and 1869.
Detailed explanation-3: -Cornelius Vanderbilt and his son William were perhaps the most famous railroad tycoons. During the era, they bought out and consolidated many of the rail companies in the East, enabling them to cut operations costs.
Detailed explanation-4: -The “golden age” of rail travel in America was the period between 1900 and the late 1940’s. During those years, most travel was done by train and some of it in luxury. After 1946, the airlines became a serious challenge to rail travel. By the 1950’s, travel by rail was in its twilight.