In the pre–civil war era, the railroads’ most important impact on the economy was that they (a) created a huge new market for railway equipment (b) created the basis for greater cooperation between southern planters and northern textile manufacturers (c) generated new employment opportunities for unskilled urban workers (d) involved the federal government in the financing of a nationwide transportation network (d) involved the federal government in the financing of a nationwide transportation network - (e) provided midwestern farmers accessibility to eastern urban markets