Another major change railroads brought was standardized time. Until then, people lived according to the sun, and watches were practically useless. One man's watch would be set for 1:30 and someone's in the next town could be set for 3:00. This caused many problems for train schedules. Not having a standardized time meant that two trains could be going in opposite directions on the same track, which inevitably caused accidents. So, in the 1880's, standardized time was set up in America. This allowed everything to run smoothly on schedule. After railroads were built, many people moved west. Many of these people were foreign settlers, who saw the West as a land of opportunity and adventure. The Homestead Act gave opportunity to many who wanted a new start. It said if you moved out west, you could have 160 acres of land. If you could improve the land after five years, it was yours to keep. Despite many troubles, almost 400,000 homesteaders made it through their five years. Most of the farms in the West moved to commercial agriculture. These people specialized in crops to be sold on national and world markets instead of only to feed their families. It allowed farmers to buy their household supplies instead of making everything themselves. Farming instruments became mechanized, such as the reaper, which could do many times more work than could workers. Another major change in the late 1800's was the Industrial Revolution. After the Civil War, the people of the south realized they had virtually no industry. The textile industry was beneficial to go into, because there was a lot of cotton and it called for cheap labor. Steel was another fundamental trade because of the abundance of iron ore deposits in Alabama. After the development of a cigarette-rolling machine, tobacco became a key item for the South to sell to mass markets. America had a large, readily available work force, an abundance of raw materials, a large investment capital, and a favorable government.