1. Railroads Lead the Way
Chap. 19 Sec. 1

2. Railroad Barons
Railroad system expanded after the completion of the Transcontinental railroad.
Smaller companies consolidated to make one bigger company. These larger companies bought out smaller companies.
These huge companies were owned by a few man know as the railroad barons.

3. Railroad Barons
Cornelius Vanderbelt- first railroad baron controlled New York central Line, New York City to the Great Lakes.
James J. Hill-Great Northern line from Minnesota to Washington State.
Collis P. Huntington & Leland Stanford-Central Pacific from California to Utah.

4. Railroad Stimulate Economy
Because of the vast amount of supplied needed to make the railroads, the U. S. economy greatly improved.
Huge amount of goods and services (labor/materials) were needed and $$ was exchanged. (iron, steel, lumber, coal).
Products from one part of the country making its way to the other part.

5. Need to improve Railroad
Different companies built different rail lines that were not the same size and width making travel difficult.
Late 1880’s all companies adopted the standard gauge of 4 feet, 8.5” width.

6. Technological advances
George Westinghouse- devised air brakes that improved stopping of trains.
Eli H. Janney- created an easier system to link cars
Gustavus Swift- Refrigerated box car
George M. Pullman- Developed the sleeping car

7. Competing for Customers
Big companies competed for customers and offered rebates to biggest customers.
Smaller companies could not do this and were forces out of business,
They also created pools (secret agreements) to control prices in certain regions. Making more $$

8. Impact of Railroads
Change in industry and farming shifting from east to Great Planes.
Helped settle west by bring Homesteads to the land.
Created Time Zones.