Natural DangersNatural dangers provided many obstacles in the shipping of products across the United States.
The elements of nature provided many roadblocks in the goal of safely shipping products across the United States. The weather at some points was so treacherous that weeks could be added to trips and death may occur. But railroads provided cover to both humans as well as the products being transported. The cars were made of wood and could protect against weather. They also had ovens that could not be carried in horse and buggy. Ones risk of hypothermia dropped when traveling aboard a train compared to a horse drawn carriage. Trains were also able to carry fresh drinking water. This meant that travelers did not need to scavenge for water that could be potentially dangerous. Mountain ranges had to be circumnavigated, turning a straight, short trip, to a winding journey of that could possibly last weeks longer. When the Central Pacific Railroad Co. built the railroad from the West they needed to cut through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Dynamite was used to essentialy blow a trail through the mountains (see video in Background Info) These straight paths provided a direct route and allowed one to avoid areas that could be potentially more dangerous.
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Human DangersHumans also provided problems in trade before the building of railroads. Robbers often ambushed horse and buggy as they delivered products along trails. Only a few people could ride on these carriages and so it was very easy for these robbers to overpower them. When railroads were built, they proved much more difficult to rob. Trains had a large crew and it became much more difficult to overthrow them. Railroads also carried large metal safes to hold their money. They were much sturdier, made of strong wood and metal and hard to rob traveling at twenty-five miles an hour. They were much harder to rob than horse and buggy. Previous robberies happened very frequently on trips by horse and buggy such as the Oregon Trail. This tedious journey recorded thousands of robberies that could have been prevent by railroads. With the new railroads trade became safer and reliable for traders.
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