USA HISTORY

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WESTWARD EXPANSION INDUSTRIALIZATION URBANIZATION 1870 1900

ROBBER BARONS

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Realizing the need for a sound transportation system to support his hotel ventures, Flagler purchased short line railroads in what would later become known as the Florida East Coast Railway. He modernized the existing railroads for them to accommodate heavier loads and more traffic. Why did Flagler purchase and modernize the railroad?
A
To allow more tourists to visit his hotels in Florida
B
To get a foothold in the railroad market
C
To undercut JD Rockerfellar’s Standard Oil
D
To allow access to the Gulf Coast
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -From St. Augustine to Key West, Flagler built a series of luxury hotels that quickly established tourism as a mainstay of Florida’s economy. His Florida East Coast Railway not only connected his hotels but opened the state to growth of all kinds.

Detailed explanation-2: -Oil tycoon Henry Flagler realized that in addition to trading goods, railroads could also help turn Florida into a tourist capital. After visiting St. Augustine with his family in 1882, he knew the city could attract many out-of-state visitors if they had better access to transportation and hotels.

Detailed explanation-3: -Flagler built the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) to link his resort empire and establish the east coast of Florida as ‘The American Riviera. ‘ Flagler, partner with John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil, developed the Atlantic shoreline with a chain of luxury hotels from Jacksonville to Key West.

Detailed explanation-4: -Henry Flagler purchased the Jacksonville, St. Augustine & Halifax River Railroad, the first railroad in what eventually became the Florida East Coast Railway. He also bought his first parcel of St. Augustine property, the site of the future Hotel Ponce de Leon.

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