Railway Expansion and Market Integration in the United States (1830-1900)

1. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad chartered in Maryland

   Feb 28, 1827Labels: Baltimore &, Maryland

   • LOC
   • B O Society

2. B&O construction begins with July 4 ceremony

   Jul 4, 1828Labels: Baltimore &, Public ceremony

   • B O Society
   • LOC

3. B&O starts regular operations to Ellicott’s Mills

   May 22, 1830Labels: Baltimore &, Ellicott City

   • B O Society
   • Trains Mag

4. Land Grant Act supports Illinois Central route

   Sep 20, 1850Labels: Land Grant, Illinois Central

   • Land Grant

5. New York and Erie Railroad reaches Lake Erie

   May 19, 1851Labels: New York, Dunkirk

   • Erie RR

6. B&O reaches the Ohio River at Wheeling

   Jan 1, 1853Labels: Baltimore &, Wheeling

   • LOC
   • OCPL

7. Pacific Railway Act subsidizes a transcontinental line

   Jul 1, 1862Labels: Pacific Railway, Federal government

   • Natl Archives
   • PBS

8. First transcontinental railroad completed at Promontory

   May 10, 1869Labels: Union Pacific, Central Pacific

   • LOC
   • Natl Archives

9. Panic of 1873 triggered by Jay Cooke failure

   Sep 18, 1873Labels: Jay Cooke, Northern Pacific

   • Panic 1873

10. Great Railroad Strike spreads after wage cuts

    Jul 14, 1877Labels: Great Railroad, Rail workers

    • Britannica
    • Strike 1877

11. Southern railroads coordinate mass gauge conversion

    May 31, 1886Labels: Southern railroads, Gauge conversion

    • Gauge Study
    • Broad Gauge

12. Wabash decision limits state rate regulation

    Oct 25, 1886Labels: Wabash v, Supreme Court

    • Justia
    • Wabash

13. Interstate Commerce Act creates federal rail regulator

    Feb 4, 1887Labels: Interstate Commerce

    • Natl Archives

14. Sherman Antitrust Act becomes law

    Jul 2, 1890Labels: Sherman Antitrust, Federal law

    • Natl Archives

15. U.S. rail network reaches roughly 259,000 track miles

    Jan 1, 1900Labels: U S, 1900

    • FRED