Topic > Major Revolutions of the 19th Century: Market, Transportation, and Communications

The Market Revolution, the Transportation Revolution, and the Communications Revolution completely changed our way of life in the 19th century. These revolutions have given us new ways to travel, communicate, and better means of production. America made great progress during that time. However, these revolutions also brought disadvantages. Such as the increase in child labor and slavery. The country suffered as a result, but at the same time it also favored their progress. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe revolutions were similar in that one could not exist without the other. The market revolution increased the production of goods that could subsequently be shipped by sea. Unfortunately, this has caused more harm than good, “while exports have increased, exorbitant domestic transportation costs have hindered substantial economic development in the United States.” Many struggled trying to transport goods across the country due to the horrible terrain. This led to the development of railways, canals and roads. The development of roads has turned a rocky and bumpy journey into a tourist adventure. Subsequently, “New York State completed the Erie Canal. The 350-mile-long man-made waterway connected the Great Lakes with the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean.” This fake river created a much easier way to transport goods as they could simply sail down the river. Then, in 1827, “the first long-distance railroad in the United States was launched from Maryland.” This means of transportation was hampered due to the economic impact it had. They all began building railroads throughout Maryland, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Charleston, SC. “The economic collapse following the Panic of 1837 made governments wary of such investments. Government support continued throughout the century, but decades later the public origins of the railroads were all but forgotten, and the railroad company became the most visible embodiment of corporate capitalism.” After the transportation revolution came the communications revolution that advanced our ways of disseminating information and messages. “The telegraph redefined the limits of human communication. By 1843 Samuel Morse had persuaded Congress to fund a forty-mile telegraph line stretching from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore. Within a few years, during the Mexican-American War, telegraph lines brought news of battlefield events to Eastern newspapers within days.” Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayWithout After the market revolution, the creation and distribution of goods would have taken months or even years longer. But to spread those goods we needed the boom in transportation creation. We needed railways, canals and roads because, even though these things required a lot of financing, they changed the way goods were exported. “Goods could be exported to European countries much more quickly and to places much further away” (Arehart, Yawp). However, without the communications revolution, the rest would have been useless. The ability to communicate with each other ensured a direct line to transmit information about goods and also to inform people about the war. Each revolution depended on each other. Having even one of these revolutions would not have helped us advance that far. The combination of all three.