Final answer:
Virginia was part of the Atlantic Triangle Trade, connecting it with Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean through trade routes that included the Middle Passage. The 19th-century transportation revolution with steamships and railroads significantly improved the efficiency and reach of these networks.
Step-by-step explanation:
Throughout the 17th to 19th centuries, Virginia was a vital part of a complex network of transportation and trade that extended across the Atlantic Ocean. This network is often referred to as the Atlantic Triangle Trade. The Atlantic Triangle Trade was a system in which goods and enslaved Africans were moved between Europe, Africa, and the Americas, which profoundly influenced the economy and society of colonial America.
The Middle Passage was the terrible journey that enslaved Africans endured across the Atlantic to the Americas, forming the middle segment of the trade triangle. They were traded for items produced in the Americas such as tobacco, sugar, and cotton which were then shipped back to Europe. Despite the horrors, this trade route was fundamental in connecting Virginia to the wider global economy.
In the 19th century, with technological advancements like the steamship and railroads, America experienced what is known as the transportation revolution. This increased the efficiency of moving goods and people significantly and reduced costs. Important inland routes like the Erie Canal played a vital role in moving goods from ports like New York further inland, enhancing trade relations with regions such as Latin America and transforming the US into a nation well-integrated by extensive railroads by the Civil War period.