1. The Railroads
Chapter 5.2

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

3. 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

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

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

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

7. The Transcontinental Railroad
Central Pacific
Started in California and went Eastward

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

9. 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 fairly represented the Age of Steam.

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

11. 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

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

13. 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

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

15. 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

16. Robber Barons
People who loot an industry and give nothing back

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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