Survival has been a concern since the beginning of humanity. Sustaining a desirable lifestyle requires more than just a place to sleep. Although life in the 1800s was substantially different than today, the fundamental principles of existence still apply today, but they diverge in the details regarding transportation, money, and oneself. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Regarding transportation, surviving in the wilderness during the 19th century was terribly arduous, but surviving in this status quo has almost the same characteristic thing. The 19th century marked the time when humanity began to rely on railway systems. Through monopolies that controlled the economy, railroads spread throughout the states, especially the East Coast. Despite the development of new modes of transportation, actual usage by the public has been low due to skyrocketing prices and unavailability in the West. As such, there was a heavy reliance on the scarce paths and roads, but even then “small paths could not accommodate the heavy traffic” of Western migrants, “nor did existing modes of transportation facilitate quick and easy access within the nation ” (Connor Prairie). Although the 19th century marked the revitalization of the transportation industry, new modes had not yet been developed and thus primitive methods still remained prominent. On the contrary, the 21st century offers more advantageous forms of transport, yet even now the same burdensome characteristics of transit are found. Due to the excessive availability of various types of transportation - buses, trains, planes, moving from one place to another has become unnecessarily complex. Especially in larger cities like New York and Los Angeles, there are a myriad of railroads and routes that people can take and because of this, getting lost is quite easy, not to mention anything that can go wrong along the way. Likewise for public transport, the transport of cars and motorcycles is particularly unfavorable especially in the event of accidents. In fact, in 2015 alone there were 32,719 deaths in highway-related crashes, as well as 706 deaths in rail and 266 in public transportation (U.S. Department of Transportation). While availability may not be an issue today, transportation in both the 19th and 21st centuries still poses significant problems. Money has always been a vital aspect of sustaining oneself. During the 19th century, people used pieces and barter as a source of currency. Fast forward 193 years and humanity now uses a rectangular piece of plastic as money. Money is not a physical asset but is used frequently to pay expenses. These expenses can range from food, clothing, housing and transportation. In 2013, on average, an American spent $9,004 on transportation, $6,602 on food, $1,604 on clothing, and $17,148 on housing (average U.S. consumer). This amounts to $34,358 spent in one year. The entire world relies heavily on money for necessities. Although the 21st century has advanced, society still uses money to trade, just like in the 19th century. For example, to purchase a steak, the consumer exchanges fiat money in exchange for the steak. In 1823, fur companies traded guns, blankets, and knives for a commodity. When Glass received a blanket, a knife, and food to continue his travels, he wrote his name on a piece of paper to pay off his debt in the future. Money will always have a strong impact on society and.