Immigrants moving inland
After arriving at major ports, many immigrants used railroads to reach industrial cities, farms, mines, and communities farther inland.
The Great Migration
Railroads were an important means of transportation during the Great Migration, when millions of Black Americans moved from the South to northern and western cities during the twentieth century.
Railroad employment
Railroads themselves employed diverse workforces in construction, maintenance, shops, stations, dining service, sleeping cars, and train operations, although workers often faced discrimination and unequal opportunities.
Communities transformed
Rail transportation made large-scale internal migration more practical and connected families and communities across long distances.