Transportation in Alabama
Alabama's history and development are in large part a result of the evolution of transportation in the state. With its hundreds of miles of rivers and streams, water transport was the most significant means of travel during the territorial period and early statehood. Railroad construction began in 1832, and by the mid-nineteenth century, rail travel and transport had changed the face of Alabama's economy and cultural landscape, spurring civic, agricultural, and industrial development. Modern road construction and the rise of military and civil aviation brought more commerce and people to the state in the twentieth century industry, and Alabama's aerospace industry helped humankind reach outer space and land on the Moon.