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Essay / The impact of industrialization on transportation
The industrial revolution marked one of the most imperative periods in history. Before the Industrial Revolution, almost all procedures were significantly disrupted in the United States, where it often took months to send packages, letters, or any sort of information across the country. As a result, the transportation revolution greatly accelerated 18th-century development, which remarkably transformed largely rural societies into industrial and urban societies, both in America and Europe. Therefore, goods skillfully handled by hand began to be produced in large quantities using factory machines. Nevertheless, the Industrial Revolution began in Britain and spread to the rest of the world in the 1830s. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe expansion of the Industrial Revolution was influenced by the ability to transport raw materials and finished products over long distances. Three elements have transformed transportation: waterways, roads and railways. Before these developments, transportation relied on animals and boats, but many problems related to the condition of the roads in the 17th century. The United States followed its own path to industrialization, spurred by innovations from Britain. By the mid-19th century, industrialization was well established in Western Europe and the northeastern region of America. By the beginning of the 20th century, the United States had become the world's leading industrial nation. A symbol of the industrial revolution appeared in the early 1700s, when Thomas Newcomen introduced the first modern steam engine. Newcomen's invention was previously practical for powering machines used to pump water from mining canals. In the 1760s, Scottish engineer James Watt produced the first efficient steam influenced by Newcomen's model, adding a water condenser which made it more efficient. Once its discovery was put to good use, it became a source of energy for the transport of goods. Similarly, Robert Fulton made the first steam engine to power a steamboat, and in 1807 he proved its use by traveling from New York to Albany via the Hudson River, leading to the introduction of steamboats in the United States, enabling the transportation of goods across the Atlantic Ocean in the 19th century. In 1928, John Stephenson created the first efficient steam locomotive, called "Rocket". After its completion, the railroad boom exploded across Europe and the United States. This was crucial for the United States because it required traveling long distances. By 1840, the United States had approximately 3,000 miles of railroad tracks. Before the Industrial Revolution, citizens depended on rivers to transport their goods. Boats could easily descend using the current, but this made traveling upstream more difficult. This setback was solved by Robert Fulton's steam engine, making travel upriver easier. Cities were connected by canals, making inland navigation faster and easier. Throughout this period, shipping was the inexpensive way to move heavy goods and canals were widened to allow boats to pass through. The most important canal built in the United States was the Erie Canal which connected Lake Erie to the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean. It was finalized in 1825 and developed a basis for trade and travel from the Western States to New York. This has..