Transcontinental Railroad:

Transcontinental Railroad:US History: Spiconardi

OriginsIn order to connect the newly expanding West with the rest of the country, the federal government wanted to extend the railroadsTo encourage the building of railroads the government offered10 sq. miles of land for every mile of track builtLoansPublic land for that actual track routes

Why would the government want a connected rail system so badly? What benefits would a transcontinental railroad bring America?OriginsCentral Pacific & Union PacificLeland Stanford won the right to build the tracks from Sacramento, CA eastward. This railroad was called the Central Pacific RailroadDr. Thomas Clark Durant won the right to build the tracks from Omaha, NE westwardThis railroad was called the Union Pacific Railroad

The WorkersThe Central PacificThe Union PacificUsed Chinese workers to build its tracks (80% of work force)Imported over 7,000 men from ChinaAlso used African-American laborersUsed Irish construction workers to build its tracks

The WorkersWorking ConditionsHazardousSnow stormsAvalanchesCutting through mountainsLow pay

Chinese railroad workers laying track in the snow

Completion (sort of)Dateline: May 10, 1869. Promontory Point, UTIn a ceremony, the two railroad lines were connected by a golden spikeThe Transcontinental Railroad was completeActually railways connecting Sacramento and Omaha were complete

Effects of a Transcontinental Rail SystemTimeDevelopment of standard time zonesGovernment adapted railroad time as the national time

Do you know how figured the time before this?Effects of a Transcontinental Rail SystemEconomic growthCattleBeef could now be shipped to consumers in the EastAgricultureFarmers could transport their crops to all parts of AmericaSteelIncrease in production due to need for steel railsCoal productionGrowth of MunicipalitiesCities like Los Angeles, Kansas City, Seattle, Denver, & Omaha become regional centers