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Respecting Individuals
The government that was established by the people in 1789 reflected one of the most important shared values on the United States--the belief in individual equality, opportunity, and freedom. -
Railroads
The first successful railroads were built in the United States in 1830. By 1840, there were over 1,000 miles of railroad track. -
Improving Communication
In 1837 Morse demonstrated the first successful telegraph. A telegrsph was capable of sending a coded message. -
Travel Over Water
By the 1850s, steamboats were a common sight on rivers, steaming their way across a watery transportation network. Steamboats also turned the Great Lakes into important transportation routes. -
Farming the Land
In 1862 the government encouraged the development of the land with the passage of the Homestead Act, granting 160 acres of land to settlers who agreed to establish farms. Also the United States Department of Agriculture, which promotes and supports farming acivites, was created. -
Movement over Land
A transcontinental railroad linking the east and west coasts of the country was completed. -
Automobiles
The invention of the automobile in the 1890s heralded the the next revolution of transportation. -
The Telephone
By 1915, the telephone was centered in 90% of the United States households. -
Clearing the Forests
By 1930, the forests of the east were depleted or converted to farmland, so the lumber industry moved west. Today only 5% of the nation's virgin forest remains.