Railroads Evaluate the growth of railroads and railroad abuses

APK What methods of Transportation do you use today? – Airplanes – Cars – Skateboards – Feet – Bikes

Westward Expansion Before and After Civil War – focus on tying nation from Sea to Sea Manifest Destiny Control Indians – Force them to move across country – Take land and give it to Americans Gave Indians land with oil…ooops – Kill buffalo and massacre Indians – Darker skin so inferior class CFU: Was our view of Native Americans the same as Slaves?

Westward Expansion Government gave land grants to RR – 10 sq miles for every mile of track in a state – 20 sq miles for every mile of track in a territory RR went to Europe to bring immigrant to US – Sold land for $2-10 an acre – 1880 – 40% of Nebraska were immigrants – 1880 – 70% of Wisconsin & Minnesota were immigrants Pair Share: What would happen to the Mid-west with the massive land grants?

Materials/Manufacturing Bessemer Process – Quickly produce high quality steel – Takes impurities out of iron by injecting air Used Civil War Vets, Irish, Chinese, Af. Ams. to build RR 1888 – 2000 killed & 20,000 injured – First year of record keeping – Disease and accidents CFU: Why were immigrants used over Americans that lived here?

Time & Space 1869 – C.E. Dowd - divided the Earth into 24 time zones – US got 4 time zones – Standardized travel and life Transcontinental RR linked East & West 1890 – 180,000 miles of track – 5 transcontinental routes Pair Share: What do you believe the main reason for having standardized time helped with?

Promontory Point, Utah May 10, 1869

Life Sold as a dream of – Travel – diverse destination – Romance – Fresh start George Pullman created a town for his employees – Provided basic needs – Cut pay Didn’t lower rent Big riots in 1894 Pair Share: Is this similar to the American Dream

Pullman Car George Pullman invents a sleeping car known as a Pullman car

Functions of Railroads Socio-political – Tied sprawling nation together – A communication network – Opened the country – Railroads moved settlers to new locations. Commercial – Created and serviced a national (and eventually an international) market – Brought raw materials to manufacturers – Took finished goods to consumers – Were huge consumers themselves – Pioneered new management techniques – Unfamiliar items appeared locally. – Mail arrived faster. – Railroads brought new jobs. – Local stores profited from train traffic. – Sales were not limited to local markets. Pair Share: Are these effects still caused by the railroad today, or has it shifted to a new tchnology?

Problems of the Railroad Era Too many railroads were built. Over-expansion frequently ended in bankruptcies. Failures spread economic disaster to workers, businesses, and farmers. Railroads resorted to discriminatory practices

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