The transportation revolution greatly benefitted the US from multiple perspectives. It is important to mention the human factor that was affected by the implementation of new channels of transportation, such as steamboats. Namely, current literature mentions that settlers were confined to relatively small areas due to the lack of ability for transportation, which is why the size of cities was unchanged for a long time. However, due to the revolution in the way agricultural and industrial goods were being transported, individuals were able to cover larger areas (Rodrigue, 2022). As a result, it can be stated that the process was partly the reason why settlement in more western regions of the US became possible. Thus, agricultural areas became more extended, people were able to access more remote locations more efficiently, and a more balanced demographic settlement in the US became attainable.
Another essential benefit that followed after the transportation revolution was the advancements in trade. Railways and canals became channels through which different regions were able to trade goods. Certain areas did not have to invest in becoming self-sufficient and, instead, focused on crafts that would financially benefit them by selling the end products to various other regions within the country. Moreover, competition grew, which also affected both the quality and the quantity of goods cities were to produce. Researchers exemplify Chicago and New York and the effect the transportation had on these major cities. Namely, the interconnection led to the specialization of specific goods and the differentiation between the production of one region versus the other one (Rodrigue, 2022). As a result, the production increased both in regards to the number of goods that were being traded as well as their overall quality.
References
Rodrigue, J. P. (2022). The emergence of mechanized transportation systems: The Geography of Transport Systems. The Geography of Transport Systems | The spatial organization of transportation and mobility.