Inventor-entrepreneurs began to develop goods to make life more comfortable for more people. While some inventions simply made life more enjoyable, others fueled the economic revolution and transformed manufacturing, transportation, and communication. New communication links began to put people into instant contact with one another. In 1837, Samuel F. B. Morse patented the telegraph, which sent messages in code over a wire in a matter of seconds. Businesses used the telegraph to transmit orders and relay up-to-date information on prices and sales. Railroads employed the telegraph to keep trains moving regularly and to warn engineers of safety hazards. By 1854, 23,000 miles of telegraph wire crossed the country.

Meanwhile, better transportation systems improved the movement of people and goods. In 1807 Pennsylvanian Robert Fulton had ushered in the steamboat era when his boat, the Clermont, made the 150-mile trip up the Hudson River from New York City to Albany in 32 hours, a remarkable speed for that era. By 1830, 200 steamboats traveled the nation’s western rivers that flowed into the Mississippi River. Steamboats slashed freight rates as well as voyage times.

Water transport was particularly important in moving raw materials such as lead, copper, and heavy machinery. Where waterways didn’t exist, Americans made them by building canals. By the 1840s America boasted more than 3,300 miles of canals.

Canals, however, soon gave way to railroads, which were faster and allowed for winter travel. Developed in England in the early 1800s, steam-powered locomotives began operating in the United States in the 1830s. By 1850 over 9,000 miles of track had been laid across the United States.

Select the answer choice from the list to complete the sentence correctly.

Transportation costs dropped significantly with the use of on canals and railroads.

a
electric power
b
flatboats
c
steam power
d
telegraph wire