Boom!

By 1850, the map of America has changed completely. Railroads now reach all the way to the Mississippi River. Steam locomotives and steamboats have speeded up everything, and business is booming. 

Rail lines have all but replaced roads and canals. They are the only sensible way to move freight. This means grain, livestock or lumber up north, and cotton, rice or sugar down South. Everything moving inland moves by rail.

New cities are popping up at all the major rail hubs, and Chicago is becoming the brand new center for livestock and farm produce. Chicago was just a muddy swamp in 1830, but 20 years later has 30,000 residents.
Railroads cross the Mississippi, 1850 map

  Across the Mississippi
Railroads (GREEN lines) now crisscross the northern states, and reach well down into Southern cotton country. Large cities are spreading across the North, as rail hubs spur the development of downtown business districts, and big downtown banks. Several new states have been added on the far side of the Mississippi River, including briefly-independent Texas.

Canal Fever, 1850 map

  Canal Fever
For about 30 years, canals are the best technology available for moving freight, and a surprising number are built (in ORANGE). By 1850, however, almost all are being slowly put out of business by much faster railroads. The National Road, funded by the federal government, is also one of the first to have a crushed rock surface (lower left). One oddity of the period is a 'portage' railroad in Pennsylvania, that actually hauls canal barges up the side of a ridge in sections, mounted on top of rail cars.


Telegraph lines, 1850 map

  Wired
While steam power is speeding up American life, a brand new technology is added to the mix. The telegraph is the first electrical device to find a practical use, appearing well before the electric light. It's also the first long-distance communication device. People can always profit from knowing about distant events before anyone else, so it quickly becomes essential for large businesses. Railroads use it to get instant notification of the precise time when trains arrive at their destinations.