Early railroads faced difficulties including workers fearing job loss from competition with horse-drawn wagons, investors in canals worrying about competition, and accidents caused by weak bridges and track issues. However, many of these problems were solved by the 1850s as railroads expanded across the nation. Railroads and clipper ships helped the northern economy by increasing commerce, connecting cities and towns as markets, and transporting farm goods cheaply, though this competition hurt New England farmers. Steam power also aided the economy by allowing factories to be built anywhere and power machines to produce more goods at lower costs.

1. Chapter 14 Section 1 notes
How did new inventions change manufacturing and farming in the North?
What difficulties did the first railroads face?
Early problems
Workers who moved freight on horse-drawn wagons feared losing their jobs.
Investors in canals worried that competition from the railroads would cause them to lose their
investments.
soft roadbeds and weak bridges often led to railroad accidents.
Locomotives often broke down.
The smokestacks belched thick smoke and hot embers. The embers sometimes burned clothing.
Where there was only one track instead of one in each direction, trains collided.
Gradually, many of these problems were solved and by the 1850s, railroads crisscrossed the nation.
How did railroads and clipper ships help the northern economy?
Railroads increased commerce within the United States.
New York, Chicago, and Cincinnati became major rail centers.
Railroads allowed factory owners to transport large amounts cheaply and quickly
Railroads linked towns with cities. The towns became markets for goods made in the cities.
Railroads brought cheap farm goods from the West to New England. New England farmers could not
compete and left their farms for other jobs.
Railroads increased commerce within the United States.
New York, Chicago, and Cincinnati became major rail centers.
Railroads allowed factory owners to transport large amounts cheaply and quickly
Railroads linked towns with cities. The towns became markets for goods made in the cities.
Railroads brought cheap farm goods from the West to New England. New England farmers could not
compete and left their farms for other jobs.
Steam Power Also Helped the Northern Economy
Steam power had advantages over water power.
Factories that used steam power could be built anywhere. They didn’t have to be built along rivers.
Steam-driven machines were powerful, as well as cheap to run.
The new machines produced more goods at lower cost.