Creating the Railroad System
The most significant contribution in transportation during the 1800s was the advent of the railroad. In 1828 in Baltimore, Maryland, construction began on the first railroad, which came to be known as the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, or B&O Railroad. The railroad was able to provide a new source of transportation at a rate that was virtually unheard of in the United States. Travelers and goods could easily move throughout the country.
As a result, by 1840, the United States had over 3,000 miles of track with several different lines competing for travelers. The concept of the railroad may have hailed from Britain, but the United States revolutionized the industry.
