The Beautiful American West!

Nebraska!

Nebraska!

South Dakota!

South Dakota - The Badlands!

South Dakota - The Badlands!

Montana!

Montana!

Montana!

Wyoming!

Wyoming!

Buffalo!

Wyoming!

Wyoming!

Wyoming - Yellowstone National Park!

Wyoming - Yellowstone National Park!

Wyoming - Yellowstone National Park!

Wyoming - Yellowstone National Park!

Idaho!

Idaho!

Oregon & Washington - The Pacific Northwest!

Oregon & Washington - The Pacific Northwest!

Oregon & Washington - The Pacific Northwest!

Oregon & Washington - The Pacific Northwest!

South To California!

California!

California!

California!

California - Giant Redwoods!

Utah!

Utah!

Utah!

Colorado!

Colorado!

Arizona!

Arizona - The Grand Canyon!

Arizona - The Grand Canyon!

How can we go out west?

How can we go out west?

Before trains (to California)…

Over land: At least 2 months… Food? Water?

Via Panama: 2-6 months… Malaria, Cholera, Smallpox?

Via Cape Horn: 6-10 month… Storms, Expense

Engineering Challenges•Finding a route

•Money

•No machines: work by hand, pick, & shovel

•Getting supplies to project

•Material shortages

•Workers?

•Slow communication (weeks, months)

Problems:

-Mountains!

-Valleys

-Snow

You can:

-Look for the flattest path

-Carve through mountains

-Use dynamite

-Build bridges

Engineering Challenges•Finding a route

•Money

•No machines: work by hand, pick, & shovel

•Getting supplies to project

•Material shortages

•Workers?

•Slow communication (weeks, months)

Some Engineering Solutions• Money:

– Pay by the mile: “Build it fast, fix it later.”– Gov’t support: Pacific Railway Act (1862)

• Land grants

– 2 competing companies, meet halfway:• Union Pacific: start in Council Bluffs, IOWA!• Central Pacific: start in Sacramento, California

The Golden Spike Promontory Summit, Utah -- May 10, 1869

The Golden Spike Promontory Summit, Utah -- May 10, 1869

Workers?

Workers?• 90% -- Chinese immigrants

• Worked dawn-dusk, $30-35/month

• White workers: 10 hrs./day, $40/month + meals & housing

• 2,000 killed, 20,000 injured!

Impacts

• Time to West Coast: Immediately dropped from 2+ months to less than a week!

Impacts

• More immigration from Europe

• Displacement of Native Americans

• Wilderness --> Agriculture & Commerce

• You can still enjoy a cross-country train trip! Amtrak.com