1.  “What is the chief end of man? To get rich. In what way? Dishonestly if we can; honestly if we must." Mark Twain (1871)

2.  Opening of the West  Immigration & Urbanization  Industrialization  Politics – Corruption & Reform  Labor Movements

4.  “Upon material progress is founded all other progress”- railroad president, 1888

5.  charters two transcontinental RR lines o Union Pacific o Central Pacific  provided for federal subsidies… public land  immigrant labor

6.  Holding company created by the executives of Union Pacific  Given the contract by Union Pacific (read: themselves) to build 667 miles of rail  Credit Mobilier charged $23 million more than needed, which came from the Union Pacific (publicly funded)  In essence, the executives of the Union Pacific paid themselves to build the railroad with government (tax) money  Union Pacific went bankrupt, stock was worthless, and all investors but those in Credit Mobilier lost millions  The ability to sell land-grants also proved to be a boon to railroad executives

8.  Central Pacific crews consisted primarily of Chinese workers o White workers usually earned $40-60 per month for ten hour days, plus meals o Chinese workers earned $35 per month for dawn to dusk hours, provided own food o Snow was frequently so deep (up to 40 feet), they would tunnel into it to live and work  Union Pacific workers were primarily Civil War vets and Irishmen o Hell on Wheels

10.  “The white children have surrounded me and have left me nothing but an island” -Sioux Chief Red Cloud, 1870  -”permanent Indian country”?