The beginning of the 20th century (between 1900 and 1910) was marked by the tremendous growth of the transport sector in America. It is a season that recorded a great increase in the railroad, road coverage in the country. The technological advancements that happened during this particular season in history altered the way America handled business and made people to be more connected.
Typically the growth in the transportation sector changes all aspects of the society. With the improved transport, people could move from one region to the other, transport goods and services more effectively and efficiently. The growth in the transport sector opened up America to greater opportunities and possibilities. I am of the opinion that growth and progress in transport is what has made America rise to its current position. This paper aims to highlight the historical development in transportation in America that occurred between 1900 and 1910.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Rail Transport
By the beginning of the 1900’s, the rail mileage had increased to over 193, 000 1 . The railroads had covered most of the American states, and it was considered as the primary mode of transportation of the time. The railroads were used to connect every small community and every area of the country. The main reason why rail was considered as the major transport means is that it was earning the government a substantial amount of revenue. The rails were generating a revenue exceeding $1 billion 2 . The beginning of the 20th century the railroads were used to connect people from various parts of America including the Midwest and the Northeast and were employing almost a million workers.
During this era, the government was more in control of the rail operations. The government, through the Elkin’s Act of 1903 was in control of the rebates that the rail road received. This act had been signed into law b President Roosevelt and was meant to ensure that the government was in control of the rails. Additionally, in 1906, the Hepburn act was passed that gave the interstate commerce commission more power by allowing it to set freight rates 3 . Later the commission would require that all railroads explain any changes in freight rates and this gave the government more control over this transport system.
In this historic period, the major development was seen by the transformation from iron to steel for use in railroads. All the railroad projects were required by the government to use steel as the material for rail contrition. This ensured the rail had durability and strength that steel provides for. by 1910, most of the rail lines had been replaced with steel, and this means the rail was now more durable and could be used for heavy transport.
The major disadvantage with this mode of transport is that the rail could only reach the destination of the rail line. If the passenger had loads of heavy cargo that he or she was transporting, then they had to look for other means to take his or her cargo to their final destination. People traveling on rails, therefore, were forced to seek motor vehicles to carry them to their final destination 4 .
Rail was mire preferred transport during this period because it facilitated long distance travel and those with bulky cargo could move with no much hustle. For business people who had to carry bulky cargo more frequent, this saved them a lot of money that they could have spent if they traveled using motor vehicles 5 . The passengers found it to more reliable as it could move with speed and not much delay. People enjoyed certainty they would arrive at their destination in time and safely. Rail is acclaimed for being the safest form of transport in the US. It is not prone to accidents and breakdown. For instance, transport by motor vehicles has the risk of accidents or beige held in traffic jams.
The move by the government to regulate freight rates was important in ensuring the passengers are not overcharged, and there was efficiency in the operation of the rail. If there were no government control of the rail transport, there would be no such improvement like the transformation of the rail from iron to steel. There would also unethical issues like carrying excess passengers to make more money 6 .
Scholars claim the railroad improvement led to industrialized and made it to become a “leading sector” to the aspects of the society. The rails opened opportunity by linking the manufacturers and the industries to resources like Coal, iron and other machinery that were located in distant states. Therefore railroads brought strategic breakthroughs to industrialization and transport sectors. The steam engine minimized the use of wood as a source of energy and made it possible to use coals for the rail transport. This led to a change in the design of the rail transport.
The progress in development that occurred on the rail road’s benefited other sectors. The agricultural sector was one of the sectors that reaped the benefits. The railroads led to the creation of new farms and the growth of town and cities that relied on more agriculture. There was also improved agricultural processing. People could now process farm produce in surplus as they had a better connection with the market. The development of rails loads led to the intensified development in locales that relied on commercial agriculture 7 .
The private sector had shown they had high expectation with the rail because they participated in financing the sector through private capital markets even with less intervention or persuasion by the government. They showed the rail was bound to open up the country and there would be substantial profits being made. Such growth and profits would boost their businesses. This is evident in that, the growth in rail road’s led to the opening of industries that participated in food processing. Therefore the railroad development and transformation that occurred in 1900 led the opening of better opportunities both for farmers, private investors, and the government.
Water Transport
The use of steam engines in ships was introduced at the beginning of the 20th century. The progress came as America showed a need to connect with the producers across the country. Water transport came as a better option to link the coastal cities with the rich agricultural areas in the interior countryside. In this regard, water transport on the major rivers, lakes and the ocean was given priority. Among the first development in water transport came as river steamboat navigation and mostly focused on the Mississippi River. This was a significant transport option because it cut the journey between New York and Albany by two thirds. Therefore the steamboat navigation was a more efficient mode of transport than the road or rail for the population living near major rivers and lakes.
Sailing ships were not highly regarded because they were slow and depended on the wind to move. This is the reason people had to shift to the steam engine to make this mode of transport to be faster. Upon introduction of steam engines, people now priorities on water transport because it was more efficient than roads. By then America lacked a good road network, and therefore the road transport was slow and unreliable. People used carriages on dirt roads which were very uncomfortable.
By the beginning of 1900 water, transport was used by residents in major cities like New York to frequently ferry people and goods form part of town to the other. Moving across seas and ocean was done with ships. Therefore the introduction of steamships greatly revolutionized the transport sector in America. The steamships served to save on time that people used to travel from one region to the other.
The US government was focused on reducing the time spent at sea to carry well from one region to the other. In this regard, the government initiated the most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken. The government started the construction of the Panama Canal in 1904 8 . The canal would reduce the distance to travel by seas from New York to Francisco by about 8000 miles.
The construction of the Panama Canal was a great breakthrough in water transport for the US and the rest of the world. The idea of constructing the canal had been initiated by French constructors. They thought that the having a canal at Panama would make the water transport to be more efficient and reliable. The French constructors had commenced the development of the Panama Canal, but they could not complete the project, there was infestation by disease-carrying mosquitoes. They were also unable to excavate through the high mountains in the area. The canal had to be built by all means because it would provide a shortcut in water transport from Europe to Eastern Asia 9 .
America showed the interest to develop the canal in 1902 when it purchased the French assets in the Canal Zone for $40 million in 1902. America using the military force got the rights of perpetuity to Canal Zone in 1903. The canal development was officially started in 1904 by Chief engineer John Wallace. However, there was a big challenge at hand as most the old machines were old and needed repair. There was also the risk of being infected with yellow fever and malaria which had greatly spread in the area at the time. The West Indians were recruited to serve as laborers in the project. When John Stephens took over the construction of the canal as the new chief engineer in 1905, he brought new possibilities to the construction of this important canal. He oversaw the hiring of more laborers and installation of a boom swing to lift chunks of heavy railroad tracks to be used in the project. He also realized that the only way to deal with the difficulties posed by the landslides in this area was the construction of a lock system canal. He reported this to President Roosevelt who approved the construction of such a canal in the Panama Region 10 .
The construction of the Panama Canal was also useful in addressing the issue of mosquito infestation in the region. As the chief engineers realized the mosquitoes were carrying diseases such as malaria and yellow fever they devised means to try and curb the spread of mosquito in the region. The engineers with the help of sanitary offices embarked on a mission to wipe out the carriers – they did this by fumigating homes ad cleansing pools of water. This was done in the whole area, and it was very effective as there were no more yellow fever incidences were reported in the area after 1905 11 .
The project was very essential to the US government, and President Roosevelt came to visit and investigate its progress in 1906. The project is reported to be the of the greatest constructions project to have been completed in the 1900s. Its estimated cost at completion is reported to be at $350 million. It was an enormous project as it involved the building of concrete reinforced locks. During its construction, a total of 240 million cubic yards of rock and dirt were excavated. It is unfortunate that 5,600 workers lost their lives during its construction.
The Panama Canal served to expanse global trade routes in the 20th century. Countries using the canal for its waterways were now enabled to invest in vessels and ports to meet the demand growth. The canal greatly reduced ship traffic congestion. It is reported the construction of the canal made the US rise to become a world power. The canal remains an engineering marvel and is classified as a wonder of the modern world linking the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. This meant that by building the canal, the US gained control over the two oceans. By then there was no air power so during a time of war US had more advantage as it could use this canal to fight the enemies and transport weapons. America greatly advanced in trade and economy upon the completion of the canal in 1914 12 .
Road Transport
The road was the most used mode of transport at eh beginning of the 20th century. It was utilized using walking, using carriages, streetcars or riding bicycles. Streetcars offered a cheap mean of transport that most people could afford. Using a few cents, passengers could travel from one side of the city to the other. Motor vehicles for transport were counted ad they were estimated to have been less than 8 thousand at the beginning of the century. Traveling by rod was not easy as there were few vehicles and road network was lacking.
Bicycles served as an alternative means of transport that brought much freedom to the commuters. By 1900 more than 5 million bicycles were sold to citizens in North America. In this regard, bike touring increased and there was a flourish of small-scale businesses which were meant to support the bikers. Bicycle riders were also employed in Chicago as postmen and this greatly reduced the cost of mail delivery. The pedal driven ambulances which were an upgraded bike was more efficient than the horse drawn ambulances. Therefore bicycles got appeal among the people and were seen as a favorite mode of transport replacing the other tradition means of transport such as walking and horse riding.
The bicyclists are the people who advocated for the construction of good roads. By the end of 1800, there was the formation of the Good Roads movement which was composed mostly of the cyclist 13 . They demanded the construction of good roads as new tows were coming up and new businesses were being started, there was a need for better roads to connect the people. The local people joined the movement to push the government to construct better improved roads.
Movement by road was not easy because out of the city the roads were dirt or gravel. They got muddy during winter and dusty during summer. During some seasons the roads were impassable. The good roads movement engaged in education to promote road building in rural areas t help connect the people in this areas to the cities. This was significant because it would ensure the rural people enjoyed the social and economic benefit that the city people used to enjoy. However, the cyclists faced a lot of rejection by the government, and they did not go far. Most of the bicycle businesses were closed by the beginning of the 20th century.
There were very few cars on the American roads by 1900. For this reason, the most used transport was the omnibus. They were commonly used in urban areas and could carry many people, and hence they were considered to be cost-effective regarding cost per passenger.
The first cars to be built were built by Ford Motor Company at around 1903 and were expensive and still unaffordable for ordinary Americans 14 . The Ford Company named it the Ford Model A. In 1908 the Ford Company released the Model T which was not costly to buy; the reduction in pricing for the car was enabled by the mass production line that was invested by the company. Introduction to Model T revalorized life in America. The car brought freedom to move from place to place and further away from home. People could not do business in the distant land. Consequently, there was the rise of more urban centers as there was increased interconnection. The introduction of motor vehicles into the American society brought the need for high ways. Roads were greatly improved the first highway to be built in the US was the Lincoln Highway constructed in 1912.
The gas powered the Mercedes car was invented in 1901. It is one of the famous inventions that helped to kick out the horse riding and horse-drawn carriage as a means of transport. The new car was the first gasoline-powered car and had the capacity of 6.0 liter, four-cylinder engine worth an output of 35 horsepower 15 . It was a powerful machine, it was the lightest car and most technically advanced, and that is why it kicked out the horses out of the transport. Besides the Mercedes, there was the Red Devil that originated in Columbia and sold widely in America during the first decade of the 20th century. The Fords' T Model is the vehicle that wiped out these cars as it was much advanced and was selling at a much lower price.
It's remarkable that in early 1900’s, the battery had not been invented and most of the cars were electric. The electric was most popular, and they could move with much speed and cover long distances. During this season motor vehicles were owned by the extremely rich. However, with time and introduction of cheaper models, the general population had the opportunity to own cars. The cars made it easy to travel, and people benefited from convenience in the sense that they no longer needed to live near railway lines or stations. The population spread out to more remote areas because of the convenience of the vehicles.
Air Transport
In the period between 1900 and 1910 air transport was practically nonexistent. The Wright brothers managed to have their first prototype 16 . The prototype made its first flight in 1903. The end of the decade the advanced way of covering distance by air was either by gliding or in a hot air balloon.
In the year 1900, the most dominant form of transport was the use of railway line. However, when Ford Motor Company invented mass production of vehicles in 1903 the popularity of rail transport started declining 17 ; more vehicles were produced. By 1910 most of the families in the US owned cars. The most dominant way of transporting cargo over long distances remains the ship up to the present day. The developments during this historic season changed the way people were connected and led to rising in towns and development of industries. Roads were also expanded and improved during this decade.
Bibliography
American-Rails.com. The 1900s, Railroads In The 20th Century (n.d). Retrieved from: https://www.american-rails.com/1900s.html
Banham, Russ. The Ford century: Ford Motor Company and the innovations that shaped the world. Artisan Books, 2002.
Carroll, Trent J., and Thomas R. Carroll. "Wright brothers' invention of 1903 propeller and genesis of modern propeller theory." Journal of aircraft 42, no. 1 (2005): 218-223.
Fishlow, Albert. American Railroads and the Transformation of the Ante-bellum Economy. Vol. 127. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1965.
Gallamore, Robert E. Meyer and John R. American Railroads: Decline and Renaissance in the Twentieth Century. Brown, John Howard, 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.eh.net/?s=American+railroads+and+the+transformation
Greene, Julie. The Canal Builders: Making America's Empire at the Panama Canal . New York: Penguin Books, 2010.
History and Politics of Transportation in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.saferoutestoschools.org/documents/Transportation_History.pdf
McCullough, David. The path between the seas: the creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914. Simon and Schuster, 2001.
Voice of America. The History of Transportation in the United States: Ships, Trains, Cars and Planes (n.d). Retrieved from: http://www.manythings.org/voa/history/249.html
Warren, James. Transportation and Communication in Seattle in 1900, 1999. Retrieved from http://www.historylink.org/File/1668.
Yago, Glenn. The decline of transit: urban transportation in German and US cities, 1900-1970. Cambridge University Press, 1984.
1 American-Rails.com. The 1900s, Railroads In The 20th Century (n.d). Retrieved from: https://www.american-rails.com/1900s.html
2 Gallamore, Robert E. Meyer and John R. American Railroads: Decline and Renaissance in the Twentieth Century. Brown, John Howard, 2014.
3 Fishlow, Albert. American Railroads and the Transformation of the Ante-bellum Economy. Vol. 127. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1965
4 Voice of America. The History of Transportation in the United States: Ships, Trains, Cars and Planes (n.d). Retrieved from: http://www.manythings.org/voa/history/249.html
5 History and Politics of Transportation in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.saferoutestoschools.org/documents/Transportation_History.pdf
6 Fishlow, Albert. American Railroads and the Transformation of the Ante-bellum Economy. Vol. 127. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1965.
7 Gallamore, Robert E. Meyer and John R. American Railroads: Decline and Renaissance in the Twentieth Century. Brown, John Howard, 2014.
8 McCullough, David. The path between the seas: the creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914. Simon and Schuster, 2001.
9 Voice of America. The History of Transportation in the United States: Ships, Trains, Cars and Planes (n.d). Retrieved from: http://www.manythings.org/voa/history/249.html
10 McCullough, David. The path between the seas: the creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914. Simon and Schuster, 2001.
11 History and Politics of Transportation in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.saferoutestoschools.org/documents/Transportation_History.pdf
12 Warren, James. Transportation and Communication in Seattle in 1900, 1999. Retrieved from http://www.historylink.org/File/1668.
13 History and Politics of Transportation in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.saferoutestoschools.org/documents/Transportation_History.pdf
14 Banham, Russ. The Ford century: Ford Motor Company and the innovations that shaped the world. Artisan Books, 2002.
15 Voice of America. The History of Transportation in the United States: Ships, Trains, Cars and Planes (n.d). Retrieved from: http://www.manythings.org/voa/history/249.html
16 Carroll, Trent J., and Thomas R. Carroll. "Wright brothers' invention of 1903 propeller and genesis of modern propeller theory." Journal of aircraft 42, no. 1 (2005): 218-223.
17 Yago, Glenn. The decline of transit: urban transportation in German and US cities, 1900-1970. Cambridge University Press, 1984.
