The development of the first railroad began in Baltimore, in 4 years it reached 73 miles. The United States had over 3,000 miles of tracks, most of them in the North. There was no single southern railway system. Railroads inadvertently encouraged settlement and expansion of farming. Trade and exports became easier and faster. Access to national markets helped farmers increase production. In the 1820’s, Steamboats stimulated the agricultural economy of the west. Farmers settled near rivers so as to easily ship their product out. These areas quickly became villages which evolved into urban centers due to the boom of trade along the river routes. The Steamboats were a much more comfortable means of transportation, and quickly became famous for luxury, floating palaces, where gambling, drinking and dancing took place. The modes of transportation that developed in the United States, encouraged trade, exploration and settling of lands in the west. Because of the growth and development of roads, canals, railroads, and steamboats, America became a prosperous