Railroad Development

The federal government gave land and made loans to the railroad companies. Why was the government so eager to promote the growth of railroads?

Rails made local transit reliable and westward expansion possible for business as well as people. Iron, coal, steel, lumber and glass industries grew rapidly as they tried to keep pace with the railroads' demand for materials and parts. The boom of these industries helped small business' which made the economy greater, this is why the government was so eager for the railroads to be promoted. The railroads also made it possible for trade and interdependence, these factors affected the economy in the way that made different regions in the United States come closer together, and rely on each other for different materials. The Government pushed for the railroads to grow because it created jobs, not only that, it nearly created cities. For example, Seattle, Washington or Denver, Colorado were known for making specific railroad parts, if it wasn't for the railways, then the cities very well wouldn't have been as big as they are today. The railways helped the cities branch out as well. The bottom line is that the growth of the railroads helped the economy in both big industries as well as small businesses.