A: Survey PlanThis survey assessed: To what extent did the railroad affected westward expansion in 19th century America? To assess his contribution, the investigation focused on the construction and expansion of railroads to the west; assess how and to what extent the western frontier used railways. This is done by assessing who the first settlers were, what trains carried between East and West, and how this affected people in the 19th century.B. Summary of evidence. The steam railway, making its first appearance around 1930, quickly became a means of transportation that could rival maritime vessels. This land craft could cross ridges, mountains, and even run in winter (Fehrenbacher 62). In 1831, the first railway tunnel was built, allowing people to pass through the land rather than around it, saving transporters a lot of time (Bruno 507). In 1856, a railroad bridge was built that spanned the Mississippi River, the first of its kind (Stover 38). In 1856, the railroad extended to Illinois. Illinois, in turn, began selling thousands of acres of land, drawing hundreds of settlers westward (Stover 45). Thanks to the railroad, wheat imports increased 900% and corn quadrupled between 1852 and 1856 in Chicago (Stover 51). In the 1870s, the railroad network expanded across the border, bringing millions of Americans westward (Stover 64). The westward expansion of railroads brought settlers to modern-day Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona (Stover 65). The West had very few rivers on which ships could navigate, however, the railroad was able to expand across the country, bringing many settlers to the West and allowing Eastern markets to have access to western agriculture... middle of paper. ....ogie. Washington DC: United States. GovernmentPrinting Office, 1993. Print.Burlingame, Roger. Iron Man Walk. Np: Charles Scrinner's Sons, 1938. Print. Fehrenbacher, Don E. The Age of Expansion, 1800-1848. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1969. Print. Guggenheim, John S. "Ray A. Billington." Gf.org. Np, and Web. April 30, 2014..Miller, Sidney L. Rail Transportation. Chicago: A. W. Shaw, 1924. Print. Moody, John. Railway builders. Ed. extra-illustrated. Flight. 38. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale UP, 1919. Print. The Chronicles of America. Ripley, William Z. Railroads; Finances and organization. New York: Longmans, Green and, 1920. Print.Stover, John F. The Chicago History of American Civilization. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1961. Print.Warman, Cy. The railway. New York: Brampton Society, 1908. Print.