The construction of railroads leading to the expansion of travel in the western states had an enormous impact on many industries. Mining in particular was beginning to grow in the state of Utah near the end of the 19th century, and the expansion of the railroads led to unprecedented growth in this industry. The use of railroads was able to provide easier access to necessary labor, food, materials, and equipment, and the railroads were also used to deliver ores and metals from the mines to places all over the country, which contributed greatly to the Industrial Revolution and the overall economic boom happening in the United States at the time.
Farming was also affected by the growth of railroads; in particular, single-crop "bonanza farms" such as the ones in California that grew wheat were able to transport large amounts of their crops and flours for sale across the country, or move them more easily to mills for processing and storage. Perhaps more importantly, the railroad expansion west allowed for easier access to food and other necessities for the laborers who worked in these remote farming areas. The same can be said of ranching operations; cattle, sheep, and other livestock could be brought from eastern cities (where livestock from Europe had arrived in ports) to be raised on ranches in the west, and the railroads could also transport these animals for sale for other purposes (as work animals or to be slaughtered and processed for meat production).
How did the railroad influence the miners, ranchers, farmers, and Indians?
Seeing that your answer is supposed to come from a textbook, I would go to that source as the primary basis for your answer. Certainly, you can take others' thoughts, but if there is a textbook involved, you might be assessed on the answer that it gives, as opposed to anyone else. This certainly might be the case in my mind. I think that the first three groups mentioned all benefitted greatly from the presence of the railroad and the expansion along with connection it brought to america. Farmers and ranchers were able to find new land to homestead and develop. Miners were able to excavate new areas, untouched by others, and stake their claim to it. For these groups, economic results trumped all else. There were other advantages such as the expansion and pursuit of freedom as well as new social opportunities that emerged, but I think that economics played a vital role in this process. I don't think that the same can be said for the Native Americans, who saw their own interests dwindle in the face of White expansion. The railroad brought more people from the East and Midwest to the West, and enabled the takeover of Native American lands and interests to be complete. Perhaps, you can find evidence in your textbook that discusses these points with the detail that can enable you to compose a multiple paragraph based answer to the question. Certainly, there were some instances where collaboration was evident, but for the most part, it became an...
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issue of domination, where only one group could win. For the most part, this was the group that consisted of the miners, ranchers, and farmers. The recognition of one group's interests ended up resulting at the cost of another.
How did the railroads in the West influence miners, ranchers, farmers, and Native Americans?
The railroads primarily helped most businessmen--including miners, ranchers and farmers--to move their merchandise at a much faster speed to customers in other parts of the United States. They were also able to purchase merchandise from the East and West Coasts and have it delivered at a much quicker rate. Railroads soon reached nearly every corner of the United States, enabling people and products to move to these locales as well.
As for the Indians, the railroads brought more people and more industry, causing the Native Americans to move from their own lands to new ones and, eventually, to the reservations which ended their old way of life.
How did the railroads in the West influence miners, ranchers, farmers, and Native Americans?
For all of the first three of your groups, the railroads were pretty useful. In all three cases, they allowed those businesses to boom. The reason for this is that they allowed the people in those businesses to get their products back out to where people would buy them. It's pretty hard to have a mine if you can't get the gold or copper or whatever out to the cities where there are factories.
For the Indians, the railroads were bad news. They brought more settlers out into the West and more settlers meant more people who would want the land that the Indians had.