1. Railroads and Immigration What was the purpose of building railroads to the Pacific Northwest, and who completed the work?

2. The Transcontinental Railroad O Connecting Washington State to Civilization O Safer transportation to PNW through the Cascade Mountains O Increase population of Washington to assist with statehood O Allow American citizens to spread further west – Manifest Destiny

3. Northern Pacific Railroad O 1883 – Henry Villard O Linked the Great Lakes to Tacoma – reduced travel time from 3 to 5 months to 5 days or less O Built with aid from Federal Government land grants and immigrant labor O Chinese and Irish laborers

4. Great Northern Railroad O 1889- James J. Hill O St. Paul, Minnesota to Seattle – provided competition for Northern Pacific, offered lower rates and travel time O Built with no assistance from Federal Government O Financed project by selling land to homesteaders and real estate developers. O Weyerhauser and the “deal of a century” O Sold land to timber tycoon – 900,000 acres for $5.4 million, about $6 per acre

5. Impact of the Railroad O Boom to industry O Benefitted other industries – timber, agriculture, etc. O Loss of land for Native Americans O Changing of the landscape O Increase of population

6. Increased Immigration O Need for Cheap Labor O Chinese and Irish workers O Paid less than American-born workers O Created competition and resentment which often led to violence

7. Irish Immigrants O California’s gold rush inspired many Irish immigrants to move west. O Many moved north after the gold rush to work in agricultural areas of Washington. O Others worked as laborers for the railroad, housemaids, mill hands, miners, or soldiers.

8. Chinese Immigrants O Hired at low wages to work in mines and on railroads. O Not given full rights – could not testify against white people. O Conflicts with the Irish

9. Scandinavian Immigrants O Attracted to Puget Sound because of similar climate O Norwegians – Poulsbo, Fishing O Swedes, Finns, Danes – timber, fishing, farming

10. Anger Over Immigration O Nativists targeted ethnic groups O Chinese Exclusion Act O Gentlemen’s Agreement O Immigration Quotas

11. Anger Over Immigration