Railroads In the 1800s Essay Example

Having a railroad run through your city in the 1800s wasn’t always glamorous. With the great success and growth it brought to the west, it wasn’t all great for the people that could see it out their front door and deal with the changes. A citizen of a city that had the railroad run through their community might have had mixed feelings. This is because, it brought new opportunities for them but also the deforestation, trash the travelers brought or left behind, and breathing in smoke constantly was a negative change. Although, it did bring major positive changes as well. These are the little things that led to both the success and slight downfall of this new transportation system. 

Being able to experience firsthand what it was like to have a railroad run through your city during the 1800s could be seen as an “eye-opener”. Watching the train pass through a new railroad brought a kind of happiness for the economy. It increased trade, made travel more affordable, opened the gateway for large commerce, and made the overall western United States more important. Seeing the possibilities and opportunities everyday might get boring after a while but, it also kept the citizens satisfied seeing the growth of not only the nation but also the economy unfold before their eyes. 

With every situation there comes positive changes but with that come the negatives as well. The introduction of the railroad in your city was no different. Even with the vast growth of the economy and nation, there posed many issues. The railroad wasn’t placed in a “perfect” location, meaning many trees had to be cut down making the animals that have their habitats there be lost. Deforestation was a large issue the railroad brought. Also, several people wanted to move west for the new opportunities such as jobs but many people were physically forced to move. This caused many Americans to live in a covered wagon with their families and relocate to a new location. This brought stress and much anger to many citizens. Finally, the railroad made your city quite dirty. Not only with the pollution but also with the trash the travelers brought or left behind. The railroad might have actually had more negatives than positives for the citizens that had one running through their city in the 1800s.