One of America's oldest railroads, known as the first common carrier railroad, was chartered on February 28, 1827 by a group of Baltimore businessmen. The railroad's primary goal was to ensure that traffic was not lost in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which was proposed and scrapped at the same time as the railroad. The new railway was a great invention, which allowed people and goods to travel by train. This was a huge improvement for the United States, as in other countries everything was becoming more advanced. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company is the great railroad that holds the great title of "The First Common Carrier." The B&O Railroad has a rich history covering its background, construction, competition, growth tactics, numerous raids, and involvement in the Civil War. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad has a very interesting background as to why it began. Many years after the American Revolution large numbers of people began migrating westward through the Cumberland Narrows, two mountains with a narrow gap between them located in western Maryland. The Cumberland Narrows was also one of the first travel routes to boat building centers located in Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh. It was also the same route George Washington took for Braddock's Expedition, an attempt to capture the French fort Duquesne that failed. The route had become known as the Cumberland Road, one of five passes through the rugged Appalachians. Now that multitudes of people were moving to the West, it was an opportunity to profit. Although water transportation and travel were the hottest technology of the time, some members of Baltimore's business community wanted something new and different that would also generate wealth. The intelligent communiqué......middle of paper......nt in the Civil War. B&O was prepared and recovered quickly. It is known as one of the strongest and most successful railroads in the United States. The railway company began as the first common carrier railway to the first stick-engine railway and reached destinations faster than anyone would have thought in the 19th century. As stated in many articles, B&O is by far the largest railroad company of the 19th century and today in the United States. History Network Where History Comes to Life World US History Online Baltimore Ohio Railroad Unions' Most Important Supply Line Comments. Np, nd Web. October 21, 2013. “Establishing the Facts.” Reading 3: The Washington Connection. Np, nd Web. October 21, 2013. National Park Service. National Park Service, n.d. Web. October 21. 2013.