Question

Transportation in the South during the early 19th century was much different than it is today. Which is the BEST description of what it was like? A) Most people traveled by foot through trails made by early Native Americans. B) Cars were becoming popular, so interstates and highways began to grow quickly between major cities. C) The amounts of roads and railways were increasing rapidly and steamships were being used to transport goods as well as people. D) Only wealthy families had means of transportation; other families were able to get what they needed within their settlements or farm areas.

Answer 1

The correct answer is D, as during the early 19th century, only wealthy families had means of transportation to the north; other families were able to get what they needed within their settlements or farm areas.

The less affluent families could subsist thanks to the economic system prevailing in the South, which based its development on agricultural production. Otherwise, the subsistence of these families would have been impossible, since there were no effective means to access the products from the north quickly.

The transport system of the South was too expensive for the common people and depended mainly on fluvial and coastal traffic by ship; both were closed by the Union Navy during the Civil War. The small railroad system practically collapsed as a result of this, so that by 1864 internal travel was so difficult that the Confederate economy was mutilated.