The Transcontinental railroad could be defined as the most monumental change in America in the 19th century. The railroad played a significant role in westward expansion and on the growth and development of the American economy (Gillon p.653). However, the construction of the transcontinental railroad may not have occurred if not for the generous support of the federal government. The federal government provided land grants and financial subsidies to railroad companies to ensure the construction
The First Transcontinental Railroad missing works cited “May God continue the unity of our country as this railroad unites the two great oceans of the world” (Mayer 213). This famous quotation was engraved on the gold spike that connected the two fragments of the first transcontinental railroad. It describes the significance of the railway to the rapidly growing United States. The transcontinental railroad was of tremendous importance to the development of the Union because it opened the western
In 1863, the overall enormous construction project, The Transcontinental Railroad, began with the tracks forming from the Central Pacific to the east of Sacramento, where it was completed. The Union Pacific Railroad started building their railroad in 1865, while the Central Pacific Railroad started in 1863. “Congress granted both railroads large tracts of land and millions of dollars in government loans” (The First Transcontinental Railroad 116). The government soon realized that making one huge
American Civil War of 1861-1865, the race to build transcontinental railroad began in 1866. Lincoln approved Pacific Railway Act of 1862, granting two railroad companies the right to build the first American transcontinental railroad, (Clark 432). The transcontinental railroad would eventually become a symbol of much-needed unity, repairing the sectionalism that had once divided the nation during the Civil War. The construction of the transcontinental railroad was also an extension of the transportation
in its first century of being an independent nation and was beginning to make the transition from a “home producing” nation to a technological one. The biggest contribution to this major technological advancement was the establishment of the Transcontinental Railroad because it provided a faster way to transport goods, which ultimately boosted the economy and catapulted America to the Super Power it is today. Throughout the beginning of the 19th century, America was still being harassed by her former
way began to form across the land mass of this country, ending with the result of one of the most influential innovations in American history, allowing trade to flow easily from location to location, and a fast form of transportation, named the Transcontinental Railroad. America at this time consisted of overland travel and ocean travel. The journey all the way across the continent by land was risky and extremely difficult. It consisted of passing over mountains, plains, rivers and deserts. It also
railroad from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast when the Transcontinental Railroad was finished (Gale 1). The railroad was an essential component of achieving manifest destiny. The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad spurred settlement in the American West, encouraged immigration, and began an economic boom in the United States. Before the Transcontinental Railroad, there were no easy or dependable means
This investigation is designed to explore to what extent did attitudes toward the Chinese immigrants during the building of the transcontinental railroad differ from those towards Irsih immigrants? To assess the attitudes toward the Chinese immigrants, this study focuses on the building of the transcontinental railroad in the United States in the second half of the nineteenth century. This study investigates the views, tasks given during the building of the railroad, and benefits given to the Chinese
physically, socially, and economically; and ultimately helped propel California into the state it is today. During a time when masses of people were migrating to California but were doing so in an inefficient, and sometimes dangerous way, the first transcontinental railroad provided a fast and easier alternative. During the 1850's and 60's California was booming as many people from across the country uprooted their lives and headed west to begin a new life and attempt to strike it rich. Covered wagons were
THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD- THE AMERICAN WAY By: Akash Gokul Sacramento, CA., May 10,1879 -- As the whistle of the train reverberated from Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California, the idea of a greater, more interconnected future glistened before the eyes of Americans. All in all, the past decade has displayed that the Transcontinental Railroad serves to be more than a mere advancement in the locomotive industry. Spanning 1,775 miles of American land and needing approximately six years
The Transcontinental Railroad and Westward Expansion Thesis: The transcontinental railroad greatly increased Westward expansion in the United States of America during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The history of the United States has been influenced by England in many ways. In the second half of the 1800's, the railroad, which was invented in England, had a major effect on Western expansion in the United States. "Railroads were born in England, a country with dense populations, short
A transcontinental railroad is a train route that crosses an entire continent. The route may be operated by a single company or by multiple companies. In the United States the First Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad line that ran approximately 1,800 miles from Sacramento, California, to Omaha, Nebraska, where it connected with a network of existing rail lines and continued to numerous points on the East Coast. Known as the Overland Route, the railroad was built between 1863 and 1869 primarily
The Transcontinental Railroad was the railroad that connected the East Coast to West Coast. The tracks were 1,776 miles long, laid west of the Mississippi River. America was connected coast to coast for the first time. Construction started on May 10, 1860, and ended six years late at Promontory Summit, Utah. Before the construction even started the planning of the railroad began way early. Surveying the ground began in the early 1850’s. The first train in America started running the early 1830’s
half of the nineteenth century were greatly affected by the technological development and government actions. The development of the transcontinental railroad was the most devastating technological development that affected the Plains Indians. Although the railroad was powerful and helpful to the white man, it was not for the Plains Indians. The transcontinental railroad was the reason why the westward movement of the white man happened so quickly. With the white man moving westward they found
American history. Industrialization began to make to makes its way into the American colony. In 1870, the first transcontinental railroad trip in the United States took place. The transcontinental railroad brought America together. This made it easier for traveling and especially made it easier for the industries by being able to commute products back and forth. The transcontinental railroad was the best invention and had a great impact of life for the United States at this time. Another great
Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862, which marked the beginning of the first transcontinental railroad (Duran). The 1860s is a difficult decade in the American history. The Civil War between the North and the South causes many hardships within the country. The nation is at war with itself, quickly exhausting the government’s funds while
the railroad progressed along the countryside, many cultural groups were provided the opportunity to mix amongst each other, this action caused many cultural groups to mix and in turn loose some division and judgement in the process. When the Transcontinental railroad was completed, the news was transmitted
In America between 1860 and 1910 transcontinental railroads also generated major corruption. Corruption began with constitution, with the court case, Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward, it allowed corporations to be “person” to receive personal rights. The railroad was the first of corporations to use it. “A construction company organized in 1864 by a few important stockholders to build the Union Pacific Railroad. The company bribed congressmen by selling them shares of stock at half the market
culture. In the mid-nineteenth century, Chinese immigrants began to come to the United States in response to the gold rush in California. By 1852, over 20,000 Chinese had emigrated to the United States. Many of these would end up working on the Transcontinental Railroad as contract laborers. Local groups demanded, however, that the flow of emigration be stopped and in 1858, a law was passed that barred the Chinese from entering. This began a series of laws and treaties with China and Japan that would
Charles Taylor Charles Edward Taylor, which was his full name, was born in 1868, and the location was Decatur, IL. Sometime around 1892 Charles met a lady named Henrietta (Etta) Webbert, shortly after they met he asked her to marry him. Henrietta had an uncle named Charles Webbert who owned a building that later the Wright brothers would rent from Henrietta’s family. By this time Charles Taylor had already been working on farm equipment, small engines, and bicycles. All these little details in