Railroad Construction Notes

Causes and Consequences of Railroad Construction

1. The expansion of railroads in the late 19th century was driven by industrialization, population growth, and government support through land grants and subsidies.
2. In the United States, railroads connected the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, opening the West to settlement, agriculture, and mining while creating a national market for goods.
3. In Latin America, foreign investors, especially from Britain and later the U.S., financed railroads to link ports to resource-producing regions, allowing for rapid export of raw materials.
4. While railroads stimulated trade and urban growth, they also deepened economic dependence on foreign capital and reinforced patterns of neocolonialism, where local economies served external markets rather than domestic development.

Industrial Growth, Urbanization, and Economic Modernization

1. The United States experienced a Second Industrial Revolution, marked by steel, oil, electricity, and mass production. Urban centers like Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Detroit became symbols of modernity and economic might.
2. Industrial growth fueled urbanization, drawing millions of immigrants to factory jobs but also creating overcrowding, poor sanitation, and labor unrest. Reform movements like Progressivism emerged to address these social challenges.
3. In Latin America, industrialization was slower, concentrated in cities like Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and Mexico City, often dependent on imported technology and foreign investment rather than domestic innovation.

The Development of International and Inter-American Trade

1. The late 19th century saw a surge in international trade, with the Americas exporting raw materials (sugar, coffee, copper, beef, wheat) and importing manufactured goods from Europe and the U.S.