Central Pacific Railroad Research Paper

In the second half of the 1800 's, the railroad, which was invented in England,

Throughout the 1800’s there were more and more Americans that had moved onto the frontier of the West coast. The people of the United States believed they were destined to have their land stretched from the Pacific Ocean (the west) to the Atlantic Ocean (the east); from sea to shining sea. This settlement came from the fact that the west not only had an abundance of fertile land for farming, but it had such a great abundance of gold and mineral mining available. The Americans also believed that this was a way (and chance) to spread their beliefs! Many people saw the West as a new beginning, so they decided to head West and begin this journey. This is what the Americans believed they were destined to do… The rapid settlement of the West was caused by the great desire of the American

At first, overland travel was slow and expensive, and the west was isolated from the rest of the nation. Canals, steamboats, and railroads began to appear, resulting in faster travel, cheaper transport, and greater economic growth. The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, connected New York City to the Great Lakes. It cut the trip time from twenty days to six days and made it much cheaper to ship goods, which later inspired many new canal projects. Additionally, steam engines used the steam produced by boiling water to drive machinery. They were developed as a new source of power in the early 1700s and improved by James Watt in 1765 to be used in factories and for transportation. In 1807, Robert Fulton used the idea of steam power to built one of the first boats powered by a steam engine. These steamboats could travel against the wind and against river currents, increased the speed and lowered the costs of river travel and shipping, and opened up the South and West to more travel and trade. Furthermore, in the 1830s, railroads were developed. Steampowered locomotives pulled trains of cars. Travel by train was faster than travel by horse and trains carried more cargo than other land transportation did. Thus, railroads could be built where there were no rivers. Before long, railroads spread rapidly across the United States and the miles of railroad tracks increased from 3,000 miles in 1840 to 30,000 in 1860. They were concentrated in the North, made shipping cheaper and faster, linked the East and the West, and helped industry

"On February 28, 1827, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad became the first U.S. railway chartered for the commercial transportation of freight and passengers" (Library of Congress). Co-created by John W. Garrett and William Patterson, the B&O Railroad served as the main connection from the east coast to the western frontier. This railroad became crucial during the Civil War (1861-1865), which was caused by the debate of slavery between the North and South. Although other railroads were used, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the most utilized and the most important because it transported artillery to soldiers during battle and cotton to market for profit.

The Transcontinental Railroad was responsible for many impacts in the United States. However, the category that had the greatest impact was the Social category. The impact of the Transcontinental Railroad can be divided into three categories. Political, economic, and social.

During the 18th century, railroad building was on the rise to help with the economy throughout the United States. History with the railroad dated back as early as 1815 when Colonel John Stevens created the first rail charters, running along the Atlantic Seaboard which then later to the central and western states. Railroad history in America has its earliest beginnings dating back to 1815 when Colonel John Stevens gained the first railroad charter in North America to build the New Jersey Railroad Company, although it was never actually constructed until 1832, and would eventually become part of the Pennsylvania Railroad (american-rails.com). Colonel Stevens was considered as a big inspiration to the United States bringing jobs to many Americans that was in dire need.

The 1800’s were a period of technological rapid growth and change for America. The Industrial Revolution was in full force, and new advances were made in substantial numbers. One of these breakthroughs was the steam engine powered locomotive, which was first used in 1830. Railroads were built all over the east coast and encouraged travel and commerce among cities east of the Missouri River. By 1850, there were almost 9,000 miles of railroad tracks on the east coast, but very little on the west coast. In 1862, Abraham Lincoln passed the Pacific Railroad Act, which permitted the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads to begin building the transcontinental railroad. The Central Pacific Railroad would begin building in Sacramento, and the

for it (Cooke 254). If it had been left to the government, it would have taken

…In 1869, after a long, bitter and often terrifying struggle  against Indian attacks, brutal weather, floods, labor shortages, political chicanery, lawlessness and a war, the first transcontinental railroad finally became a reality. Now the way was open for vast expansion and social changes that would make America the industrial giant of the world. ... One of the great engineering feats of history and ... a fascinating chapter in the development of our country.

Imagine yourself sleeping soundly and you awake suddenly to the sounds chuggachuggachuggachugga CHOO CHOO! You realize it was only the train passing by, and you roll over to sleep longer. You have done this many times without even the thought of where trains originated. The train was first invented in 1830, but it did not truly flourish until the Gilded Age. Prior to the Gilded Age, only approximately 45,000 miles of track had been laid, and between 1871 and 1900 170,000 miles were added. This was all done with the help of Congress . In 1862, Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act, which authorized the construction of a transcontinental railroad. The first transcontinental railroad was completed on May 10, 1869. Four additional transcontinental

Another great invention of transportation during this time was the train. America’s first train was invented by George Stephenson in 1822, and by 1825 the train was the first locomotive. Obviously everything at this time was made by hand, and every part of this engine had to be hammered into shape just like a horseshoe. John Thorswall, a coalmine blacksmith, was George’s assistant. The invention of George was very important in America because it allowed transportation from place to place in a quicker time. This boosted the economy by helping distribute many goods all around the country. Even letters were being delivered faster, so communication was increasing.

In the 1800’s, Colorado was pretty much a “gold” mine for settlers traveling west. The city of Denver was bypassed by the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) through Cheyenne, Wyoming from Omaha, Nebraska, 100 miles to the north. David Halliday Moffat, one of Denver’s most important financiers and industrialists, had a vision. Having built several rail lines for a few railroads such as the Denver Pacific Railway (DP) and the Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railway (DSP&P), he wanted to connect Denver and Salt Lake City, Utah by rail. However, David had a problem: the Rocky Mountains were in the way.

After the Civil War, Cornelius Vanderbilt brought about the conversion of iron tracks to steel, which allowed them to lay more tracks for only a fraction of the cost. Thus, by 1900, the United States improved almost a quarter of a million miles of railroad tracks. Andrew Carnegie profited from the increased demand for steel and responded by producing more. As the strengthening and innovation streamlined costs, it became cheaper and faster to ship raw materials, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, and oil through railways than by steamships. Railroads also transported people, and contributed more than any other means of transportation and led to the development of the West. Railways made it physically and economically convenient for many Americans

The first successful steam engine locomotive was built by the British Engineer George Stephenson, which could haul up to 30 tons of coal at 4mph going uphill. Later, Stephenson also created the first public railway for

The first railway opened was the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad. was opened in 1836 outside of Montreal. Champlain and St. Lawrence was financed by Montreal brewery owner John Molson. It was made as a portage road to connect the St. Lawrence River with Lake Champlain. cutting time from the trip between Montreal and New York. Construction began in January 1835. Rail ways where still new. The world’s first way had opened just six years before in England, connecting Liverpool and Manchester. The early rails were made of wood with thin strips of iron. The locomotive for Canada’s first train was a Dorchester, built in Newcastle, England. Nicknamed “Iron Kitten” for its behavior, the Dorchester’s first test runs were held at night to avoid frightening