1. Railroad Revolution
Benefits and Costs

2. First continental line completed by 1869 Omaha to California
The Union Pacific Railroad was commissioned to build a railroad from this city westward
Answer: Omaha
First continental line completed by 1869
Omaha to California

4. Answer: Leland Stanford
The ex-governor of California was one of the “Big Four” financial backers of the Central Pacific Railroad.
Answer: Leland Stanford
Ran two construction companies through useful political connections.
“Wedding of the Rails”- The West 51:18
Ogden, Utah
1869
Linked West Coast more firmly to the Union

6. While the Union Pacific Railroad used Irish “Paddies”, the Central Pacific Railroad used _______________ labor because they were cheap, efficient and expendable.
Answer: Chinese
California Gold along with turmoil in China brought Chinese overseas (Mostly sons)
After Gold Rush, many returned to China
Others settled near railroad towns, farming villages, and cities (Chinatowns)
Horribly mistreated by Americans and other Chinese clans (Tong)
Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 barred nearly all Chinese from US for 6 decades.

8. Name the two significant improvements proved a boon to the railroads
Answer: Steel rail and/or Standard Gauges
Between years of Civil War to WWI, railroad mileage increased 1000%.
In 1886, the South railroads were the last to convert to the common gauge.
Massive land grants from federal government to railroads
Time Zone adoptions

10. Slashed rates on competing lines
An agreement to divide the business in a given area and share the profits was known as a
Answer: “pool”
Other rail barons granted secret kickbacks to powerful shippers in return for steady and assured traffic.
Slashed rates on competing lines
Made smaller customers (farmers) pay the difference

12. Congress passed this law which required the railroads to publish their rates openly.
Answer: Interstate Commerce Act
The depression of 1870’s pushed farmers into organizing and pressuring the government for change.
Interstate commerce had to be national
The Act set up the Interstate Commerce Commission
Provide orderly forum to hear conflicts peaceably
But it had many loopholes for the railroads to find and take advantage.

13. Industrial Expansion: Group 1
Transcontinental lines created an enormous domestic market for American raw materials and manufactured goods
The railroad spurred American industrialization
Changing landscape
Oil, steel, expansion of large factories
Industry moves westward

14. Agriculture: Groups 2 and 9
The railroad (Iron Horse) stimulated mining and agriculture…especially in the West
Beef Bonanzas
Silver Mining
Wheat

15. Cities: Groups 3 and 8
Railways were a boon for cities and migration movement toward cities (urban)

16. Immigration: Groups 4 and 7
Railroad stimulated immigration
Chinese Labor
Immigration from South and Eastern Europe

17. Great Plains: Groups 5 and 6
Changing landscape
Killing of Buffalo
Collecting land and breaking treaties with Native Americans

18. Wealth concentration: Group 10
Might over Many
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Offered superior railway service at lower rates.
Cut throat business practices at the expense of public interest
Bought and bribed public officials and politicians
Built monopolies through “pools”, and rebates