A new way of life was taking shape for the American people during the new industrial revolution. Transformations of all ways of life were in motion at a rapid pace. With the completion of the transcontinental railroad came dramatic changes to the cattle and mining industries. Cities were being redesigned and immigrant workers along with middle class workers struggled to compete against advanced technology. Family structures and the role of women were re-shaped as technological inventions exploded. As we explore this period of time in our country we see that technology advancements re defined almost every area of American life.
             Without the transcontinental railroad's completion in 1869 much of the changes America experienced would not have happened. The railroad linked the east to the west, it gave companies in the east a chance to move their products westward in less time, at a much cheaper cost, and changed how the businesses operated. One example of this is with the invention of the refrigerated rail car by Jonas Wilder. It allowed the Chicago stockyards to ship dressed beef all over the country and changed their method of doing business which was previously to send the beef dried. George Pullman also encouraged the migration westward by providing comfort for travelers with his invention of the railroad sleeping car. It provided spacious accommodations, luxurious travel complete with exceptional food and first class service, and encouraged the middle class to travel in style. Another inventor who benefited from the railroad system was Cyrus McCormick. He designed a horse drawn mechanical reaper that cut the grain to one side of the unit. His factory was located in Chicago where access to raw materials through the water ways was plentiful. The railroad allowed his company to be located in the place most beneficial to the production of the reaper while also distributing his invention to distant places. The railroad also gave ...