Question

numerous towns sprang up along the rail lines. some towns, such as denver, colorado, eventually grew into large cities. railroads also brought the next wave of settlers to the west—ranchers and farmers. railroads even changed how people measured time. before the 1880s, each community kept its own time based on the suns position at noon. clocks in boston, for example, were 11 minutes ahead of clocks in new york city. but these differences in timekeeping were now more than an inconvenience. with railroads crisscrossing the country, such time differences could cause scheduling errors or even collisions when two trains traveled on the same track. to make rail service safer and more reliable, the american railway association—a group that included the nations railroad companies—divided the country into four time zones in 1883. all communities within a time - zone would have the same time. each time zone was exactly one hour later than the zone to its west. congress made the time zones official in 1918. meanwhile, new technology enabled trains to pull longer and heavier loads. railroad systems became so efficient that the average cost of shipping one ton (0.91 metric ton) of freight one mile (1.6 km) dropped from two cents in 1860 to three - quarters of a cent in 1900. the nationwide rail network also helped unite americans in different regions. nebraskas omaha daily republican newspaper wrote in 1883 that railroads had \made the people of country homogeneous alike, breaking through the peculiarities and provincialisms local ways which marked separate and unmingling sections. although this was an exaggeration, the article recognized the effect of the railroads on american society check for understanding 1. identifying cause and effect how did railroads affect the american economy in the mid - to late 1800s? 2. making connections how do you think the construction of the railroads affected relations between the u.s. government and native american groups? lesson activities 1. narrative writing you are a miner in a western boomtown. write a letter to a friend in boston describing your new life. explain why you moved west, how life in the west is different from life in the east, and whether you think it would be a good idea for your friend to move west to join you. 2. presenting working in a small group, research and prepare a presentation about the construction of the transcontinental railroad. support your presentation with data about the railroad and its construction, images of railroad workers, and excerpts from firsthand accounts of those who

Explanation:

1. Railroads promoted west - ward settlement, increased economic efficiency by reducing shipping costs, and united different regions, thus boosting trade and economic growth.
2. Railroad construction often led to the displacement of Native American groups as their lands were taken for tracks and stations. It also sometimes led to conflicts over resources and sovereignty, while the U.S. government often sided with railroad companies.

Answer:

1. Railroads promoted west - ward settlement, reduced shipping costs, and united regions, boosting trade and economic growth.
2. Railroad construction often displaced Native American groups, led to conflicts over resources and sovereignty, with the U.S. government often favoring railroad companies.