How were railroads used for imperialism?

The idea of nineteenth-century railway imperialism seems simple enough—use railways and the industry and money behind them to gain and maintain control of other people's countries and resources for the primary benefit and security of the imperial country.



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The growth of railways during the Industrial Revolution greatly stimulated the demand for iron, coal, timber, oil, and steel, and in the process, created new markets for these commodities within the British business community. Railways helped create new businesses and jobs in Great Britain.

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As the building of rail lines increased during the 1840s and 1850s, the direction of the nation's internal commerce shifted increasingly east-west. The growing economic ties between the East and the West promoted nationalism as well as stronger cultural and political connections between these regions.

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It made commerce possible on a vast scale. In addition to transporting western food crops and raw materials to East Coast markets and manufactured goods from East Coast cities to the West Coast, the railroad also facilitated international trade.

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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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For immigrants to the United States, the Transcontinental Railroad presented an opportunity to seek their fortunes in the West. There, they found more opportunity than the port cities of the East Coast, where discrimination kept immigrants living in urban squalor.

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Railroads were a unifying force for European nations. Neither Germany nor Italy were unified countries before the advent of railways. In both cases they helped create those nation states.

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“The rail sector can provide substantial benefits for the energy sector as well as for the environment,” said Dr Fatih Birol. “By diversifying energy sources and providing more efficient mobility, rail can lower transport energy use and reduce carbon dioxide and local pollutant emissions.”

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