On May 10, 1869, the Transcontinental Rail Road was finished. The effects it would have on society were important in many aspects.
The Rail Road made it easier for passengers and cargo to travel across the continent. Before, everything had to go through a dangerous route across ocean and Panama, now it only took a week to get from San Francisco to New York. $50 million worth of freight was annually shipped from coast to coast within ten years of the rail road's completion. Since more people could have access to the country's resources, the demand for it grew. Greater demand resulted in increased production, which really got the industrialization of the country going. It also created a lot of jobs and helped the growth of American business.
The Rail Road didn't only help transcontinental business, but also contributed to a greater transcontinental culture. People got a bigger picture of what their country actually looked like when they got to travel through it, and culture (like art and books) could be shared across the continent.
So the Rail Road was good for the country's development in many ways, but it worsened the lives of some people - especially the Native Americans. The spreading of white peoples settlements led to wars with the Native Americans, which they would eventually lose and were then forced to move to reservations.
Anne-Marie Hammarstrom
Source:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/tcrr-impact/
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