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Sources: Railroads and the Making of Modern America, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Rail Network). US Census Bureau (Urban Population). In only 30 years after its introduction, the American rail network totaled about 28,900 miles (46,500 km) on the eve of the Civil War (1861-1865). Yet, the American rail network was

Source: United States National Archive. The completion of the transcontinental railway in 1869 marked a turning point in the territorial development of the United States. The last spike was driven in to join the rails of the Union Pacific and the Central Railroad Companies on Monday, May 10, 1869, at

Source: adapted from G. Campbell, “The Dividend Mania: Stock prices and dividends during the Railway Mania”, Social Sciences Research Network, Working Paper Series. The initial developments of railways in Great Britain were characterized by phases of booms and busts. Like all new technologies, the commercial potential of railways remained uncertain,

Source: View of Erie Canal by John William Hill, 1829. Watercolor on paper. The Erie Canal, which opened between 1821 and 1825, represents one of the best examples of canal construction aimed at extending inland transport systems, of foremost importance in the development of the United States. At its completion,

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the construction of canals was considered to improve inland transportation in North America, which was limited to trails and coastal navigation. The setting of such canals faced strong constraints as no navigable river system from the East Coast reached far inland, except

Source: unknown. The Bridgewater Canal represents the first entirely artificial canal in Britain, constructed by the engineer James Brindley and mainly financed by Francis Egerton, Duke of Bridgewater (1736-1803), to haul coal from his mines to the growing industrial city of Manchester. Its construction is the earliest known attempt to

Source: adapted from D. Bogart (2004) “Turnpike Trusts and the Transportation Revolution in Eighteenth Century England”. The first Turnpike Trust was established in 1706. Each Trust was responsible for constructing and maintaining a specific road segment requiring capital. Capital was publicly raised, and revenues were generated by charging tolls on

Year Built Name Extent 540-1320 Grand Canal Beijing – Hangzhou (2,500 km) 11th Century Naviglio Grande Milan – Adriatic (30 km) 1390-97 Stecknitz Canal Elbe – Trave (11 km) 1604-42 Briare Canal Seine – Loire (58 km) 1667-81 Canal du Midi Garonne – Mediterranean (279 km) 1732 Ladoga canal St.

The Industrial Revolution involved the diffusion of several technological innovations in four main sectors:

Source: adapted from A.R. Pred (1973) Urban Growth and the Circulation of Information, 1790-1840, Harvard.Note: State boundaries are contemporary. Before the construction of the first intercity rail lines in the 1830s, inland travel was a time-consuming and expensive process. Yet, significant improvements were made at the beginning of the 19th