RailRoad
*toot-toot*
The instigation of the railroad in the 1840s was an prominent upgrade to the city’s earlier means of transportation, which was by horse. The horse generally took an average of four to six days to travel the same distance as the railroad. However the railroad completes its journey in a little more than a half a day. Therefore, the railroad was much faster, more convenient and less time consuming. It was also suitable for carrying large and heavy articles from one area to the next without slowing down, as opposed to the fastest steamboats of the time.
Due to the invention of the railroad, New York embarked in constructing routes to different areas using canals. The first section was completed in 1820, which was from Salina to Utica. The canal was a strong contributing factor to growth in New York’s commerce as it fostered communication between areas within the city’s vicinity.