Transcontinental Railroad Tera Richardson, 4336787 History 102 B008 Sum 17 Professor Traci Sumner American Military University July 22, 2017 Abstract The transcontinental railroad was one of the biggest advocates for the industrial economy and westward expansion. The railroads could transfer goods and people across the country with ease, and quickly. While some bad came from this miraculous progression, such as the panic of 1873 and a yellow fever epidemic, the good outweighed the bad as it enabled the United States to fulfill its Manifest Destiny through westward expansion. While the railroad construction began long before the 1860’s, the major push for the transcontinental ability was completed in 1869, as the final …show more content…
Central Pacific Railroad started from San Francisco, and used Chinese laborers for their work, pushing through the Sierra Nevada mountains. In 1867, to encourage quick progression, Congress deemed the land remaining between the two companies, which was the Utah plains, to be paid at mountain rate. This motivated the Union Pacific crew to lay 360 miles of track, and the Central Pacific crew to lay 425 miles of track within the year (Stockwell, 2011). Unfortunately, this hasty pace came at a cost. The two railways were not projected to meet at the planned location in Utah any longer. Congress acted and ordered the lines to meet at Promontory Point, near Ogden, Utah. The final railroad tie was made of laurel and was wrapped in silver. It was laid on May 1, 1869, completing the long track of railway connecting West to East (Stockwell, 2011). The transcontinental railroad was key to the industrial economy of the United States. The rail system allowed people and manufactured goods to be transported quickly and for long distances. This was significant for who had migrated due to the discovery of resources such as iron and gold (Railroads and Westward Expansion, …show more content…
E. (2011). Panic of 1873. In C. L. Clark (Ed.), The American Economy: A Historical Encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/abcamerecon/panic_of_1873/0?institutionId=8703 Stockwell, M. (2011). Transcontinental railroad. In C. L. Clark (Ed.), The American Economy: A Historical Encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/abcamerecon/transcontinental_railroad/0?institutionId=8703 Railroads and Westward Expansion. (2011). In P. Neimark, & P. Rhoades Mott (Eds.), The Environmental Debate: A Documentary History (2nd ed.). Amenia, NY: Grey House Publishing. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/ghed/railroads_and_westward_expansion/0?institutionId=8703 Railroad History Time Line 1860. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2017, from
In 1864 Congress approved the Northern Pacific Railway to be built. The NPR is the first transcontinental railroad in the northern part of the country. It is 8,316 miles long, beginning in Minnesota and ending in Washington state, with many branches going off the main line. When congress approved it they also supplied nearly 40million acres of land grants to build the railroad on. Construction didn 't go underway until 1870, and the rail road was finally christened to open on Sept. 8 1888.
It was built to bring settlers and supplies to the west. It has made a terrible impact on the Native American people. It was built by two different railroad companies: the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific. Both companies received subsidies from the government to complete the railroad. The companies started on the far points and connected on Promontory Point, Utah.
It all started with Abraham Lincoln passing the Pacific Railway Act, just before his death. This act allowed two trustful companies to build the railroad. In the end the government picked the Union Pacific railroad company and the Central Pacific railroad company. The companies started the work as soon as they could. The Union
There have been steam engine trains trailing the United States in the early 1800’s. Many of the early ones ran only a few dozen miles. When the railways ran longer distances, the cost to build and later ride them were be extremely high. However, long distances were what Minnesota needed to keep up with the competitive and growing nation around it. “Construction began on the first track in 1861 in St. Paul and was completed in 1862.”
The first transcontinental railroad in the United States was built between 1863 and 1869. It was 1,776 miles long and covered the western half of America from Atlantic and Pacific coasts. In 1869, the transcontinental railroad connected California to Omaha, Nebraska and eastern cities. By 1900, the railroad track grew from 35,000 miles of track to 167,000 miles, which was more than the total of railroad route in Europe and Russia. Prior to the transcontinental railroad was built, many settlers began to move westward across the United States.
The Central Pacific had their troubles with progressing their track through the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Often dealing with the harsh environment, weather and blasting tunnels through the dense rock with gunpowder and nitroglycerine. On May 10, 1869 in Promontory Summit Utah, a golden spike was driven into the last tracks that connected the East and West coast. The completion of the railroad system opened many doors for our Nation and built the “arteries of America” in which it grew economically and financially. (History.com Staff,
Specifically, between 1869 and 1890, it enabled the westward expansion that allowed the creation of more settlements in the Midwestern plains all through to the West Coast. The rail route also served a significant role in designating administrative posts and even urban settlements that later evolved into the major cities. It is a fair statement to conclude, the majority of the factors that make America what it is today including technology, democracy, and culture to include immigration, can all be traced to the westward expansion of the railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad The completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad was an important event in the United States history. There were many challenges in building it, but after it was finished, it connected the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast. The railroad took three whole years to build, with the help of two railroad companies and thousands of other hired workers.
Marshall Lasater Mr. L Military History P6 1/27/23 Transcontinental Railroad Imagine a railroad that stretches across half of the nation. The Transcontinental Railroad was an immensely important development in American history. It connected the east and west coasts of the United States, allowing for faster transportation of goods and people across the country. The railroad also opened up new economic opportunities for businesses that could now easily move their products to far-away markets, leading to a period of unprecedented industrial growth in America during this time.
The Effects of the Transcontinental Railroad: Native Americans, Society, and Economy The Transcontinental Railroad had a drastic effects on many aspects of life during the 1860s, including society, the economy, and the Native Americans’ way of life. These are just a few of the ways the Transcontinental Railroad changed the world. Native Americans were forced to relocate, society had a new outlook on life, and the economy had been boosted almost incalculably.
The establishment and growth of the railroad had many influences on the Westward Expansion of America in the later half of the 1800’s. The railroad fueled the conflict with the Native Americans of the Plains, induced growth in population and economy in previously established urban areas, and lastly expanded the lands that were used for agriculture. The railroad affected various aspects of America’s West and the Great Plains. The advancement of the railroad West added to the already tense relationship with the Native Americans of the Plains.
Railroads carried new and expensive machinery from factories in the East and Midwest to Oregon farmers who in turn became more specialized and profit oriented.” Railroads boosted trade and production by massive numbers. Without railroads, trade would not have been as advanced and farmers would have no way to deliver crops in a quick manner that would provide fresh produce to consumers. One major railroad that is talked about today is the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad. During the building of this railroad, many complications occurred, but no matter the dilemma, they always approached and attempted to fix it, as said in Richmond
The Transcontinental Railroad played a significant role in the settlement of the American West. As of May 10th, 1869, this railroad became the area’s newest and fastest mode of transportation. Its first obligation was to bring settlers in at very low cost, and, sometimes, even free of charge. The types of people that began to migrate West were those who were searching for a better life. One which contains less poverty and more opportunities.
With the advent of the railroad, many of these issues disappeared. Railroads had a major impact on advancing the American economy, transforming America into a modern society, and improving an antiquated transportation system. The building of railroads created rapid economic growth in America. Railroad companies employed more than one million workers to build and maintain railroads. At the same time, coal, timber, and steel industries employed thousands of workers to provide the supplies necessary to build railroads (Chapter 12 Industrialization).
In 1694, Thomas Savery invented what would revolutionize the united states indefinitely, he called it the steam engine. This invention lead to the first steam engine locomotive which many would say was a beneficial turning point in the industrialization of america’s economy,allowing the steam engine to be used on the railways. Although the railroads did impact the United States and certain groups in positive ways,there were also negative effects that occurred. During this time period, there were many chinese immigrants that entered the United States who made up most of the workers that built the tracks.