Gracelyn Poncy

IEW Writing
4/21/24
Development of American Transportation

(6)(1) Transportation transformed America. (2) In the early 1900’s, transportation was

substandard and uncomfortable for people who needed to travel near or far. (4) Everything and

everyone got around by animal power; for example, horses, donkeys, and even oxen were used to

pull wagons of people or freight. (3) Fortunately, the Industrial Revolution improved that. It took

much less time to travel and was far more comfortable. Today I will discuss the three pivotal

transportation milestones in America. The Erie Canal, the Transcontinental Railroad, and the one

and only Automobile. (5) Although there were many advancements brought on by the Industrial

Revolution, transportation arguably made the biggest impact on the nation.

(1) U.S transportation was very dangerous and difficult in the early nineteenth century.

(4) Connecting the East and West was an obvious solution for better transportation. Luckily, the

Industrial Revolution brought great alterations that transformed America forever. In 1825, an

incredible breakthrough began with the construction of the Erie Canal. It was an extensive,

man-made, waterway which crossed New York connecting Lake Erie and the Hudson River. (6)

It was 363 miles long.(2) Although it took a while to build, the canal enormously helped many

people (5) because it encouraged them to move west, making cities even more tremendous.

Through many difficult trials, the Erie Canal was an enduring turning point in U.S

transportation, and helped the growth of many cities.

(2) In the early 1800’s, America was young, and expanding vastly. (1) People started to

settle in the western frontiers, but got cut off from essential goods from the East. They also
discovered that the West had many factories that would be extremely valuable to the East. (4)

Needing improvement in safety and ease of transportation was a problem they needed to solve.

(6)(3) Luckily, they found a way! (5) When President Abraham Lincoln agreed to the Pacific

Railroad Act in 1862, companies received land to build the railroad, which was very helpful. The

companies were the Central Pacific Company which started in California, and the Union Pacific

Company that started in Nebraska. Overcoming obstacles along the way, in 1869 America

expanded even more because of the Transcontinental Railroad.

(5)Because Americans wanted faster transportation later in the 1800’s, people began to

dislike traveling more than one hundred miles from home. Once automobiles and air travel were

invented, things changed drastically. (3)Early in the 1900’s, Henry Ford, the man who invented

the most famous automobile, massed together a line factory, and reached his goal of providing a

remarkable new way of transportation. Although he had much help, the process was very

difficult. (2)Over time, the first ever car was nick-named the Model T Ford. Quickly, he sold his

first one in 1908, and throughout the years twenty-six million of them were sold and millions of

people were on the move! (1)The Model T Ford soon spread across America, changing the

minds of people, and making travel and transportation smoother and faster.

(2)In conclusion, these three transportation milestones shaped the course of American

history forever. (6)(4)Everything changed. The Erie Canal was the first man-made waterway

which crossed New York and connected Lake Erie and the Hudson River. (1)The

Transcontinental Railroad helped connect the East and West, and made travel much faster.

Finally, Henry Ford's incredible invention of the Automobile made transportation easier and
possible for everyone. (2)Without the transportation revolution our country would not be what it

is today. (3)Remarkably, because of these incredible Transportation milestones, connections were

made between the North, South, East, and West, it allowed our economy and population to grow.

(5)Although this time in history had many types of discoveries and inventions, the development

of transportation impacted America more profoundly than most.