Despite the obstacles, the railroads expanded quickly. In 1835 there were only 1,000 miles of track in the United States. By 1865 there would be some 35,000 miles; in 1880, 93,000 miles.

Trains revolutionized transportation in the US. People were no longer dependent on horse-drawn carriages and natural waterways to move across the country. The rapid spread of railroads made the ...

By the 1880s the railroads were big and powerful enough to ... Finally, on March 19, 1918, the U.S. Government passed the Standard Time Act, making railroad time the official time standard of ...