The Railroads Chapter 5.2

Linking the Nation In 1865 the US had about 35,000 miles of railroad track. By the year 1900, 200,000 miles of track existed

The Transcontinental Railroad The Pacific Railway This act provide for the construction of the transcontinental railroad by two corporations The Union Pacific The Central Pacific

The Transcontinental Railroad Union Pacific Began pushing westward from Omaha, Nebraska in 1865

The Transcontinental Railroad Union Pacific faced difficulties Blizzards in the mountains Scorching heat in the desert Angry Native Americans Labor, money, engineering problems

The Transcontinental Railroad Union Pacific Workers Civil War Veterans Irish immigrants Frustrated miners Cooks Ex-convicts

The Transcontinental Railroad Central Pacific Started in California and went Eastward

The Transcontinental Railroad Central Pacific Workers Labor shortage in California Hired 10,000 Chinese immigrants Paid them about $1.oo per day

The Transcontinental Railroad Union and Central Pacific meet May 10th 1869 Promontory Summit, Utah East Meets West: The Central Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Railroad meet on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, completing the transcontinental rail line. Here, the two locomotives -C.P.R.R.’s Jupiter (No. 60) and U.P.R.R.’s No. 119 - fairly represented the Age of Steam.

Railroads Spur Growth Linking the nations with railroads increased economic growth Increased market for many products spurring American industrial growth Steal, coal, timber

Railroads Spur Growth Cornelius Vanderbilt He was a railroad consolidator Offered direct rail service between NY and Chicago Began building NY’s Grand Central Station in 1871

Railroads Spur Growth Time zones American Railway Association divided country into 4 time zones Made rail service safer, more reliable Helped with train scheduling

Land Grants A grant of land by the federal government especially for railroads In the 1850’s and 60’s the government gave railroad companies more than 120 million acres of land Railroad companies sold the land to real estate companies, settlers and other business to raise money to build the railroads

Jay Gould Most notoriously corrupt railroad owner Infamous for manipulating stock, bribing officials, and swindling tax payers

Credit Mobilier Scandal Construction company set up by several stock holders Some of the stock holders were members of congress Credit Mobilier over charged the railroad companies and almost caused them to go bankrupt while the credit mobilier stock holders got rich

Robber Barons People who loot an industry and give nothing back

James Hill Owner of Great Northern Railroad Built routes close to established towns To increase business, he offered low fares to settlers who made homes along his routes

Great Northern Railroad Shipped American products in demand to China Hauled goods east and west instead of just sending lumber and farm product east and coming back empty

Class assignment Page 193 #1,2, and 4 When you are done staple the worksheet and questions together and turn it into the 2nd hour slot