How did railroads shape the development and settlement of the nation?

The rise of railroads in the decades following the Civil War (around 1865-1900) helped spur the growth of the industrial economy in America and also led to new settlement and commercial patterns as the country was tied together by faster, more efficient transportation. During the Civil War, Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act (1862), approving the building of a transcontinental railroad that would link railroads in the eastern states to the Pacific. Rather than one railroad, the transcontinental railroad was actually a system of several railroads that were funded by the federal government. In addition, the government provided land grants to these railroad companies. The railroad companies then leased or sold this land to settlers at cheap prices, attracting farmers and immigrants and promoting further westward settlement.
The growth of railroads also stimulated western settlement by providing economic opportunities. Many Chinese and Irish immigrants helped build the railroad, and the railroads created new economic markets. Farmers in the West now had faster, more reliable ways to ship their goods across the country. In addition, the West provided new markets for goods from the eastern states as more and more people moved West, and railroads facilitated faster and cheaper ways of connecting these regions. Not only could people travel further and faster, but so could goods. In 1888 Sears Roebuck used the first print catalog to advertise goods from watches to clothing and furniture, allowing consumers to order from the catalog and have goods shipped to them. By 1883, coordinating railroad schedules had become so important that the country was divided into four time zones.
Railroads also shaped the development of the economy by driving up demand for iron, coal, lumber, and steel, leading to the rise of new industries. Men like Andrew Carnegie (Carnegie Steel) amassed vast fortunes by creating monopolies in these industries. Railroads not only bought and used these commodities, but they also distributed them across the country. Steel produced in Pittsburgh could be used to build bridges in San Francisco; coal mined in West Virginia could be used to heat homes in Oregon.
Unfortunately, there were negative effects of the growth of the railroad industry. While railroad companies became important employers of much of the nation's workforce, these large corporations came to dominate, allowing them to charge high rates for shipping and passengers. When workers went on strike, which occurred numerous times in the railroad industry (most notably in 1877), the entire country could be affected when railroads could no longer run on schedule. Finally, the rise of railroads also meant the further decline of Native Americans' rights and the rise in conflicts with Native Americans over land. Aside from the defeat of General Custer at Little Big Horn in 1876, Native Americans suffered heavy losses to both federal troops and settlers. Tribes such as the Lakota Sioux and the Nez Perce were forced to move to reservations or assimilate into "American" society.