How did the American railroads affect time?

On November 18, 1883, the railroads moved forward with the adoption of four U.S. time zones, an idea that had been proposed 11 years earlier by Charles Dowd, a Yale-educated school principal. The time zones, Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific, are still in place today.



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The railroad changed human perception of time and space, making long distance travel much faster and easier. Railroads also changed habits, including increasing reading. People needed some sort of distraction to ensure they didn't have to talk to other people on the train.

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Just as it opened the markets of the west coast and Asia to the east, it brought products of eastern industry to the growing populace beyond the Mississippi. The railroad ensured a production boom, as industry mined the vast resources of the middle and western continent for use in production.

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Railroads expanded significantly, bringing even remote parts of the country into a national market economy. Industrial growth transformed American society. It produced a new class of wealthy industrialists and a prosperous middle class. It also produced a vastly expanded blue collar working class.

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The railroad opened the way for the settlement of the West, provided new economic opportunities, stimulated the development of town and communities, and generally tied the country together.

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Stimulated Commerce Not only did the railways provide greater opportunity through extending markets, but they also stimulated more people to start businesses and thereby enter the markets. An extended marketplace provided a greater number of individuals the opportunity to produce and sell goods.

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The Transcontinental Railroad reduced travel time from New York to California from as long as six months to as little as a week and the cost for the trip from $1,000 to $150.

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Four zones initially were adopted in the United States: Eastern Standard Time, Central Daylight Time, Mountain Standard Time, and Pacific Daylight Time. The time zones were each one-hour wide, simplifying train schedules and virtually everything else to do with time in an increasingly industrialized nation.

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The railroad opened the way for the settlement of the West, provided new economic opportunities, stimulated the development of town and communities, and generally tied the country together.

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“The construction of railroads in Afro-Eurasia helped European imperialism because it allowed Europeans to increase their political power in Asia and Africa.”

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How did railroads affect cities during the Second Industrial Revolution? Railroads helped cities grow by providing the greatest number of jobs. Railroads helped cities grow by transporting goods and raw materials.

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Railroads expanded significantly, bringing even remote parts of the country into a national market economy. Industrial growth transformed American society. It produced a new class of wealthy industrialists and a prosperous middle class. It also produced a vastly expanded blue collar working class.

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Transcontinental Railroad Facts
  • It was built to connect the United States' East and West Coasts. ...
  • Approximately 1,800 miles of track. ...
  • The transcontinental railroad cost roughly $100 million. ...
  • Workers came from a wide range of backgrounds and ethnicity. ...
  • President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act.


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