When the railroad first came to America, mine owners used it to haul coal and rocks to towns and to canals and rivers for transportation. Train cars were moved by horses, gravity, and even the wind. Then the steam locomotive came to town, announcing its presences with a loud chuffing and smoke winding from the chimney. Life in the newly independent country of America was changed forever. Inventors and businessmen saw infinite possibilities. America adopted the train and rails from Great Britain and made them an American way of life. New railroads and new trains competed with each other to be the best. Soon they would cross the vast nation, and it all started when the railroad came to America. Book jacket.