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Transportation Revolution | Streetcar Suburbs
Transportation RevolutionThe amount of railroad trackage in the United States tripled between 1850 and 1860. The Northeast developed the most comprehensive and efficient system, with twice as much trackage per square mile as the Northwest and four times as much as the South. Over time, the main "trunk lines" (shown in black) tended to displace traffic from the Erie Canal and the Mississippi River. By lessening the dependence of the West on the Mississippi, the railroads help to weaken the link between the Northwest and the South.
Why was there a greater concentration of railroads in the Northeast and Midwest than in the South? Give three hypotheses, and look for evidence on the map and in your text to back up each one. What effects would this have on sectional division and conflict?
Which cities grew up as a result of the new rail traffic? What economic impact did railroads have on the growth of cities across the North and Midwest? Which products were behind this growth in rail traffic?
Railroads in the South were fewer in number and served mostly to bring agricultural products from the hinterlands to cities and ports. Why did the railroads fail to bring about the economic changes it brought about in the North and Midwest?
You are a businessman interested in entering the railroad industry in 1840. Write a letter to Congress or to your state legislature asking for support of your project. What area of the country do you believe will offer the highest return on profit? What arguments will you make about the economic, political and social benefits of your enterprise? What assistance will you request?
You are a nineteenth century rail traveler on a cross-country journey. Write a diary of your travels, the landscape you pass, the travel experience on the railroads, and the people you meet on your trip.
Streetcar SuburbsIn the late nineteenth century, fast growing urban centers such as New Orleans suffered tremendous housing shortages. People could afford to build houses in the less dense areas of the city, but its muddy, rutted streets could not support the traffic back into the shops and factories of the business core. The invention and installation of an elaborate system of streetcars allowed the moderately well-to-do of the city to escape into new suburbs built along its lines.
What natural features bounded development for the city of New Orleans? How did geography shape the city before the streetcar revolution?
What new areas did the streetcars help to create? What institutions were connected to the city by the streetcars? What areas diminished in relative importance as a result of changes in population?
What changes did streetcars make in the class and racial composition of the central city and outlying area? What groups were able to move to the new suburbs? What groups stayed behind in the older sections of the city?
Create a description of New Orleans in 1900 as seen from a streetcar line starting in the business core and proceeding outwards. Choose a route on the map. Describe the neighborhoods you pass through, the sights, sounds, and smells as you progress outward on the line. Describe your fellow passengers as well.
