Humans function through their network.

Our unique ability to abstract, tell stories, and orient ourselves around the stories allow us to function like a single organism.

That is what the world economy is.

We communicate with words and prices to shift allocation of resources to the highest and best use - at least in a purely free market.

In that context, the railroads and resulting interconnection - the ability to move things around were key to economic development.

-- an excerpt from the Saylor Series Episode 2 - the Rise of Man through the Dark and Steel Ages, its 2-minute version can be found here https://www.2minutebitcoin.org/blog/saylor-series-episode-2-the-rise-of-man-through-the-dark-and-steel-ages-robert-breedlove