The Transportation Revolution in the USA

The development of transportation in the 19th century is referred to by some historians as the "transportation revolution." This revolution was both a cause and a consequence of the market revolution.

During the colonial period, markets could only be accessed along navigable rivers. In the early 19th century, the only alternative to water transport was goods transportation by wagons on poor dirt roads. Bringing a ton of goods from England, 3,000 miles away, still cost the same in 1816 as transporting the same goods to an American city located 30 miles away. In 1817, the cost of transporting a bushel of grain from Buffalo to New York City was three times the market value, corn six times, and oats twelve times the market value. Therefore, cheap transportation was the most important prerequisite for the development of a national market.

In 1794, the first major paved road ("turnpike") was opened. This greatly reduced transportation costs, boosted trade, and became so profitable that more and more roads were built. One of the most important roads ran through Maryland from Baltimore to Cumberland, where the federal government continued construction, naming it the "National Road." The National Road became the main artery for east-west trade.

However, more important than road construction was the advent of steamships. Barges traveling on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers were already transporting goods from the first settlements to markets. The flow of the river made upstream transport slow, laborious, and costly, making widespread trade impossible. The new era was heralded by the launch of Fulton's first economically viable steamboat, the Clermont, which began operating on the Hudson River in 1807. By 1812, paddlewheel steamboats had already appeared on the Mississippi. By 1820, sixty steamboats were operating on the Mississippi-Ohio river system. The cost of transportation by steamboat downstream was only 5-10% of the cost of barge transport, and even for goods carried upstream, it was only 25-30% of the cost, and much faster. The shallow-draft boats could penetrate the shallow waters of the western tributaries, enabling the cultivation of cotton, wheat, and other crops for market in regions that had previously been excluded from the national economy. While steamboats accelerated trade in the West and enriched river cities like Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Louisville, a direct waterway connection between the East and West was also established. In 1825, the Erie Canal, 364 miles long, was completed. The traffic on the canal became so significant that its construction costs were recouped within nine years. This established cheap waterway connections between the Great Lakes, New York City, and even Europe. In the 1830s and 1840s, a series of canals connected the Great Lakes to the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

The railroad network was further developed in the 1840s and 1850s. The railroad boom reached its peak in the 1850s. The main lines connecting the East and West were completed, and by 1860, the country had over 30,000 miles of railroad tracks.

Samuel Morse perfected the electric telegraph, which revolutionized communication. Telegraph lines ran parallel to the railroad lines. The innovation spread quickly, carrying news, developing markets, and transforming business and financial connections. By 1860, there were 50,000 miles of telegraph lines in use.

The development of transportation and communication had a huge impact. Costs were significantly reduced, and transportation time was also cut. The revolution in transportation, the market, and industrialization could only occur with the substantial involvement of the government.

Sellers-May-McMillen "Az Egyesült Államok története", Maecenas kiadó, 1996