Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

The Transcontinental Railroad-1869 A Symbol for America.

Similar presentations


Presentation on theme: "The Transcontinental Railroad-1869 A Symbol for America."— Presentation transcript:

1

2

3 The Transcontinental Railroad-1869 A Symbol for America

4

5

6 Brainstorm- What important roles can you envision for railroads in the future of the United States?

7 Antebellum Railroads 1. no organization 2. no set gauge 3. various profit-seeking owners 4. favored Northeast businesses with “connections” 5. Lincoln in favor of Transcontinental Railroad-“bind up the nations wounds”

8 What was needed to complete the greatest engineering feat of its time?

9 1. Land Pacific Railway Act of 1862 A. Created 32 nd Parallel as the rough route for railroad B. Designated Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroad companies to build RR.

10 C. 170 million acres worth $1,000,000,000 (1 billion dollars) granted D. Each company received 10 sq. miles of public land per mile of track in states (20 sq. miles/ mile of track in territories)

11

12 2. Loans to build A.Union Pacific- 1 mile=$16,000 on flat prairie or $48,000 on mountainous terrain

13 B. Credit Mobilier Scandal- -Stockholders created construction company-Credit Mobilier -overcharged government-$73 million for $50 million work -donated shares of stock to reps. in Congress

14 -VP Colfax and prominent congressmen (Rep. James Garfield) caught -No removals but hurt Republican Party

15 3. Large, cheap, efficient labor force A.CP-over 10,000 Chinese-100s lost their lives-Sierra Nevada-TNT and Nitroglycerine- C 3 H 5 N 3 O 9 B.UP- over 8,000 Irish, German, and Civil War Vets C.Illness, death, and “Hells on Wheels”

16 May 10, 1869 in Ogden, Utah; the rails meet *Stanford misses the golden spike*

17

18 Results of the Union: The “Multiplier Effect” Speeding the pace of growth in many segments of the economy

19 A. Increase in track mileage UP -1,086 miles of track CP -698 miles of track 1870-1880-amount of track in U.S. doubled 1880-1890-almost doubled again By 1900- 193,000 miles of track

20 B. A new concept of time 1.Time of day = local matter-(12 minutes different from New York to Boston)- “High Noon” 2. Zones instituted by RR on November 18,1883 3. Became law in March 1918- Standard Time Act

21 C. Hastened the collapse of Native American life in the West *took land used by Native Americans for millennia *nearly extinguished the native buffalo herd (reduced to a few thousand) *government troops used to kill and track down Native America war parties *Native American culture a victim of “progress” and “manifest destiny”

22 “The only good Indian is a dead Indian.” General Sheridan, former Civil War general

23

24

25

26 Two cultures collide


Download ppt "The Transcontinental Railroad-1869 A Symbol for America."

Similar presentations


Ads by Google