1. What does transcontinental mean? 2. Continent is a landmass. 3. There are 7 continents in the world: a. North America b. South America c. Europe d. Asia e. Africa f. Australia g. Antarctica 4. Trans means something that goes across or beyond. 5. We put the two together and it means coast-to-coast.

1. Steam locomotives as they were called were developed in the early 1800s. 2. They replaced the standard method of transportation which was a wagon being pulled by animals. 3. This invention would revolutionize America as we know it!

1. Railroads were so important to the expansion of the United States’ infrastructure. 2. Infrastructure is defined as the basic structure or features of a system or organization. 3. The United States infrastructure today is made up of highways, railroads, and airports. 4. It is easier understood as what helps a country operate efficiently.

1. Railroad development helped America transport supplies, people and other things to help America grow into a powerful nation. 2. Travel time became less of an issue.

1. Ever hear of the San Francisco 49ers? They are called the 49ers because in 1849 there was a massive gold rush in and around San Francisco. The gold miners were dubbed as “49ers”. 2. When the gold rush died down many people returned west but many other people stayed and built cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles. 3. There was just one issue: There was no railroad to help people return from east to west or west to east.

1. On July 1, 1862 the US government passed the Pacific Railway Act. 2. This Act would start the railroad to connect the east with the west.

1. The Union Pacific Railroad company would start in Iowa and build west. 2. The Central Pacific Railroad company would start in California and build east.

1. Along with Americans… 2. The Union Pacific Company would build west hiring Irish immigrants. 3. The Central Pacific Company would build east hiring Chinese immigrants. 4. Both the Irish and Chinese suffered through difficult working conditions!

1. The Central Pacific Company building east had major troubles through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 2. A man by the name of Theodore Judah, “Crazy Judah”, was known for his big ambitions and enthusiasm. He was the lead engineer on this project and found a route to pass through the mountains. 3. One question remained: How on earth do you build a railroad track over mountains? 4. This is a job for a nitro glycerin!

1. The only solution was to blow holes in mountains and make some tunnels. 2. A chemical called nitro glycerin was used which was EXTREMELY deadly and explosive. 3. If the liquid dropped on the ground it would explode in an instant. 4. Many men lost their lives during these projects.

1. On May 10, 1869 the last railroad spike, made out of gold, was driven into the ground to complete the Transcontinental Railroad. 2. The east and west were connected after 6 years of hard labor. 3. What once took months of travel now could take just a week to cross the entire United States!

1. The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad boosted the economy and helped the country grow into a wealthy nation. 2. Goods and services could be accessible to more Americans as the railroads grew and expanded.

1. America would continue to build its infrastructure with more railroads connecting more people in the future. 2. This opened up the lines of communication, people were able to easily move west and east and major cities were born!