Final answer:
In 1840, the United States had less than half as many miles of track as it did in 1850. Significant infrastructure developments occurred during this period, with a drastic increase in railroad expansion, particularly after the first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869.
Step-by-step explanation:
In 1840, the United States had less than half as many miles of track as it did in 1850. This period marked a significant time in American transportation history, involving major expansions of the railroad network. While travelling was inefficient and quite expensive before the War of 1812, rallies for improvements in infrastructure were prominent as it was cheaper to ship goods to Europe than to transport them overland for just thirty miles. The major transportation shift comes to light when understanding that in 1786, a trip from Boston to Providence took four days, but by 1840—a mere half day via train. This was due to the impactful increase in mileage of railroads across the nation
After the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869, the United States experienced a boom in railroad construction. By 1890, around 180,000 miles of railroads crisscrossed the nation. This expansion allowed the South to become a leading producer in textiles, as the reconstructed tracks met national standards, permitting the same trains that operated in Manhattan to travel through Mobile, Alabama. This era signifies the dramatic growth of the rail system, changing both the economy and the social fabric of the nation.