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.

The railway was arguably the most significant technological driver of the Industrial Revolution, fundamentally altering human geography, economics, and social structures. Before the railway, moving goods and people was limited to the speed of a horse or a sailing ship, making long-distance trade slow and prohibitively expensive. The railway allowed for the mass transport of raw materials like coal and iron, which fueled factories and built cities. It created the first truly "global" markets and enabled "just-in-time" delivery of agricultural products, significantly reducing the risk of localized famines. Socially, the railway standardized time; before trains, every town kept its own "local time" based on the sun, but the need for synchronized schedules led to the adoption of "Railway Time" and eventually global time zones. It also democratized travel, allowing the working class to visit the coast or move to cities for better employment. In a military sense, railways allowed for the rapid mobilization of troops, changing the nature of warfare forever. It was the "internet" of the 19th century, connecting isolated communities and accelerating the exchange of ideas.