VUS.8a

 As the Civil War ended it became an initiative to link the nation east to west. (California Gold)  The federal government gave land grants and loans to private companies to build the railroad.  Building out of Omaha, Nebraska and heading west was the Union Pacific Railroad. Employed mostly Irish  Building out of the boom town of Sacramento, California and heading east was the Central Pacific Railroad. Employed mostly Chinese  Both companies met in Ogden, Utah in 1869.

 Railroads take over as major economic business.  Economic Growth  Stimulated the growth of mining of natural resources and farming.  Created a national economy where raw materials from the west were shipped and made into consumer goods in the northeast.  Boomtowns  Deforestation of northern woodlands  Time management: 4 time zones to monitor schedules to avoid crashes  The millionaire class

What were each of these pieces of clothing used for? -Hat -Bandanna -Chaps -Spurs

 Farmers helped bring the long drive to an end by introducing barbed wire fencing which stopped the cowboys from herding cattle to the railroads over long distances.

 What innovations do we have today that our parents or grandparents did not have growing up?  What professions have been changed as a result of technological innovations?

-July, Cyrus McCormick invents the Mechanical Reaper -Increased the harvest of grain dramatically which caused larger tracts of land used for farming. -This was an economic breakthrough for farmers because they could sell mass amounts of grain to market. -More and more people migrated west to attain land claims and begin farming.

 Opening up federal land in the west to citizens wishing to expand west to attain land.  Three step process: 1.) Apply for land grant of 160 acres 2.) For five years, settlers would have to live on the land and “improve the land” which meant they had to grow crops and build a dwelling (12x14). 3.) After five years, the land holder could show proof that they have “improved” the land and would then receive a title for the land.  Many took advantage of this and resold the land for profit after building a 12”x14” structure. The government never specified whether it meant feet or inches.  Large companies hired “families” to apply for large amounts of land in return for profit.