The development of the railroads was a key element in the expansion of the United States and in the economic well-being of the nation during the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. The railroad was a transportation and communication marvel compared to anything that had existed previously. It crossed the territories of the nation and made it possible to travel from one end of the country to the other or to send mail and goods along the same routes. The development of the railroads was itself a matter of business expansion on a grand scale, starting with small lines and ending with vast networks of tracks which nurtured cities and towns all along their length. In terms of business history, the development of the railroads was not only the first big business venture in America but also made it possible to expand other businesses into not merely local entities but regional and national corporations. Distant business offices could now be linked to the central office, allowing a business to cover a much wider range than was ever possible prior to that time. The railroad has also been credited as a major force in the opening of the West and in the development of the United States as a unified social and political entity.
The development of the nation's railroads is usually treated as a romantic subject, and the Age of Railroads was part of both the Industrial Revolution and the era of nation-building. Trade between east and west was increasing before the advent of the railroads, and every state was seeking a program of internal improvements to make this trade more feasible. The expansion and growth took place in sectional increments, but there was also a desire to build a national system of roads and canals. Indeed, roads and canals were the primary means of transportation for the first half of the nineteenth century, and the National Road was one of the largest and best, though it did have problems. The artery mo...