1. Why was steel such an important commodity at that time
Why was steel such an important commodity at that time? How did the steel industry change the United States?
How do you think rails and other building supplies were transported to workers on the Central Pacific (west to east)?
Most of the materials and supplies had to be transported by ship from the East Coast around the tip of South America to San Francisco. Show this on a map. This will preview the upcoming chapter that covers the Panama Canal.

3. Ideal Conditions for Industrialization
Natural Resources Timber, coal, iron, copper, and petroleum were available in large quantities in the United States. Manufacturers were spared the expense of obtaining these resources from outside the United States.
Human Resources Rapid population growth after the Civil War vastly increased the industrial labor pool and boosted demand for factory-made goods. Growth stemmed higher life expectancy and increased immigration.
Transportation Resources Movement of people became more efficient as railroads reached across the country and connected the East and West coasts. Railroads and shipping hauled resources from the West to factories located in the Midwest and Northeast.

4. Natural Resources and Industry
How did these three types of resources interact to help the United States industrialize? 
Increasing use of natural resources created jobs, which were filled by immigrants. The growth of transportation resources helped other resources move across the country more quickly and efficiently.
Which type of resource do you think was most important to industrialization? Explain
Manufacturers saved import costs and were thus able to hire more workers and produce goods at reasonable prices.
Industries cannot succeed without workers and without a market for their goods.
Without a nationwide system to move resources, people, and goods, industrialization might have succeeded only in certain regions.

5. Industrialization
What does a country need in order to successfully achieve industrialization? 
natural resources, labor force, transportation, creative freedom, and favorable government policies.

6. What patterns do you notice in resource distribution?
Different resources tend to be clustered together in bands or regions.
What effects do you think the growth of transportation would have had on the nation’s economy?
Manufacturers could easily obtain resources from anywhere in the country, allowing them access to resources not necessarily found in their particular regions.

7. Why wasn’t petroleum an important natural resource in the 1800s?
Gasoline-powered engines had not been invented at that time.
Why has petroleum become one of our most important natural resource needs today?
Cars, other forms of transportation, plastics, etc.