Canada is a great country but it wouldn't be the same without the Trans Canada Railway. The great achievement of this railway helped form and unite this great country in many ways. These are some of the reasons why I think the CPR helped in forming a strong, united Canada.
Confederation on July 1, 1867, brought together the Eastern Colonies of Canada, but as a country, Canada was interested also in making a connection with the West Coast Colonies. One of the ways this was accomplished was by promising to build a railway from coast to coast. The province of Manitoba was convinced to join confederation by 1870, and British Columbia joined in 1871, but only when the Canadian government promised to build the railway within ten years. Unfortunately, that government was unable to follow through with it’s promise and true construction only began in 1881 and finally completed in 1885. The first train ran in 1886 from Montreal to Port Moody. The CPR was an important way to connect the large country of Canada.
The communities on the West Coast naturally felt like they had more in common with other communities on the coast, such as Oregon and California and may have eventually chosen to
…show more content…
The railway also allowed for further development of different areas of Canada that otherwise would have seemed too remote in order to create settlements. As a company, the CPR was involved in land settlement and land sales early on in our country’s history. They also installed telegraph lines along the railway lines, which allowed quicker cross country communication. The company also ended up finding natural gas in Alberta when they were digging a well to find water for their steam engines. In this way, the CPR ended up being more than a railway company but got involved in transporting goods in different ways such as steamships and
By the 1860’s railways were being hailed as an answer to economic problems. Those people in the Maritimes who supported Confederation argued that a transcontinental railway would improve among the colonies and would also help to unify the country. Goods could be moved much
The Transcontinental railroad purpose of being built was to cause positive things to happen in the US and positive things did result from the railroad. For example, westward expansion increased because of the railroad. One reason why western expansion increased because of the railroad was that travelers finally found a use for the Great Plains like how they found “millions of acres of fertile soil, land for cattle, and a land of opportunity even larger than the Lone Star State”(Doc 1). Because people found these uses of The Great Plains, people started to move rapidly west to take ahold of these opportunities. This was a positive for the US because now more people are moving west increasing westward expansion, starting businesses, and are farming in the Great Plains which helped boost the US economy. Another reason why westward expansion increased because of the railroad is there was land in the west and after the railroad was built it was for sale for very cheap prices (Doc 5). This was a positive because with more land for cheap price people started moving west but it also is creating more space for people to live and during this time many immigrants from many countries are coming to the United States looking for opportunities and the more people that came to the United States the more space they needed because they needed somewhere to live. So now that they have more land more people are able to settle in the United States in the west for cheap low prices.
First, the building of railroads out west played a huge part in the successful expansion of our country and the fulfillment of American dreams. Priot to the development of a more efficient railroad system, the movement of people and freight were
Similar to the light bulb’s legacy of ideas, the transcontinental railroad paved the way for new transportation. “The transcontinental railroad act is the first step in creating a continental common market.” This quote by, Charles R. Morris, defines the wide-spread uprising in the American Economy after establishing a railroad that would last a lifetime. The Transcontinental Railroad economically transformed America because of the trade and commerce it brought. Now capable of fast communication, we could quickly and cheaply of transport goods and ourselves. t’s wide impact developed a independent country were we could efficiently practice a free enterprise. Bringing in trade, shipping and new exports/imports, it elevated our economy to a higher level of technology.
Larry Page once said, “Especially in technology, [we] need revolutionary change, not incremental change.” Whether he is speaking about the Transcontinental Railroad system or the latest iPhone, what he says is true. If change is going to happen, it needs to bring a revolution of some kind along with it, otherwise, it will just become lost in history. This makes us wonder, how did the railroad system affect the US? The railroad system benefited the US most economically by industrializing towns it ran through, lowering shipping costs, and allowing for mass imports and exports.
When a population experiences a growth it means that there are going to be an increase in the amount of consumers and the amount of goods and services sold. Moreover, the economy experiences a positive growth. When an economy has positive growth it can provide the country with employment for its nations citizens and new industries. A positive economy also contributes to our Canadian Identity. Due to the railway, it was stated that “The immigration was increasing week by week….” (Landon, pg 24). It was also said that “Canada noted in its annual report for 1852 that there had been a large increase of the Negro population during the year” (Landon, pg24). Slight population growth is better than a precipitous decline. Therefore, the slight increase in population during the railway was a positive to the Canadian Identity. “30,000 when the Underground Railway was in operation” (FabbiShushan, Black Canadian History).If the population expands slightly, through births or immigration, there are more active workers to take help the
The Canadian Pacific Railway required a great amount of effort to construct. As a solution to this, the Canadian government brought Chinese men to work for them in British Columbia
The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), officially founded in 1881, marked a significant milestone in Canadian history. At the time it was legitimately formed, no one could have ever imagined the evolution and progression that it has made to present day. Over the past 150 years, the CPR has underwent and endured its fair share of sacrifices. However, there are countless reasons why the CPR should be viewed, remembered, and revered as a successful project. Throughout this essay, numerous topics, from the origins of the railway’s formation to its relevance and continued influence during present day, will be illustrated and examined in great detail, as well as why the project itself was an overall success.
We have all heard the story of how America came to be, and how Native Americans were pushed out because of this. In regards to the west coast, the history is a bit different. There is evidence of natives living in California since from at least 17,000 BCE. Prior to contact with Europeans, the California region contained the highest native American population north of what is now Mexico. Because of the temperate climate and easy access to food sources, approximately one-third of all Native Americans in the United States were living in California.
The building of the First Transcontinental Railroad was a key symbol of the Industrial Revolution beginning in the United States. The railroad crossed the middle of the country and connected the eastern portion to the west. The building began in Sacramento, California and continued all the way to Council Bluffs, Iowa, resulting in 1,776 miles of new rails that were a staple for both the transportation of people and goods. Less lives were lost on the hazardous trails through the Rocky Mountains and thus the West Coast experienced an increase in population. The railroad greatly impacted the nation, as it united the people and also allowed for the improvement of the speed of shipment and price of goods throughout the nation. With the constant
Canada was rushed into Confederation way too soon and has had problems due to this. Although through these past hundred fifty years, Canada has survived and is still going strong. Confederation started on July 1st, 1867 when three British Colonies came together to become four provinces. Although Canada went through Confederation, it is not a confederate association; it is a federal state which is not the supposed meaning of Confederation. Canada has evolved majorly since Confederation back in 1867.
We also needed this railroad because we also needed to bring in goods to help the people that live in British Columbia, to live safe, healthy and good lives. The railroad would also help bring in more people. This would help us fill more jobs and more of our goods could be traded out to other provinces for some of our needs such as money. British Columbia is also on the very west of Canada so we need this railroad to even be relevant to Canada and to help Canada be a great place.
The transcontinental railroad was the most influential innovation of the United States, that brought a revolution of how people traveled. One year after the Civil War ended the people of the United States were looking for a way to unite their country back together. This helped mold the United States as to what it has become today. It helped people cross the country and improved how goods were transported. The man that was forming the transcontinental railroad was a merchant named Asa Whitney. He had asked the government for funding to construct one of the greatest innovation of the United States. “Two railroads, the Central Pacific starting in San Francisco and a new railroad, the Union Pacific, starting in Omaha, Nebraska, would build the rail-line.” (ushistory.org). One fear of building the railroad was the danger of the “Great American Desert” because of the lack of resources. The Central Pacific was primarily made by Chinese immigrants. The Union Pacific was primarily made up of Irish immigrants. By spring of 1866 the Central Pacific had only build 68 miles of track from Sacramento, while the Union Pacific going west from Omaha built 200 miles of track in less than a year. Therefore the Union Pacific made millions more. The next three years the railroads would continue to try and make history.
The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) is commonly argued to be the most important transportation route in Canadian history, but most do not know the substantial benefits it provided. More specifically, it provided benefits to farmers, financiers, and consumers. The financiers of the railway were the group of people that the railway benefitted the most, mainly because of the significant amount of use it received in the 19th century.
Transportation was one challenge the railroad fixed. People could now travel and discover the frontier faster. Trade was also increased once the tracks were finished. Many could now take their items to new areas to make trades. Another nuisance that the transcontinental railroad corrected was the communication gap. Settlers were often isolated, so when the railroad was completed other settlers would meet up to chat and help one another out. The last major impact the completion of the transcontinental railroad created was the opportunity for new jobs. Silver mining in Comstock Lode, Nevada and gold mining in the Black Hills created many jobs for settlers. Railroad companies may have helped the United States, but they would capitalize off of the government. These companies did so through the Pacific Railway Acts. The Pacific Railway Acts provided loans and land grants to railroad companies in order to help the companies raise money for the construction of new railroads. In return the government would get discounted rates to send troops and mail. By the end of these acts, “Congress and granted over 131 million acres of land to railroad companies.” (Holt McDougal, 590). The transcontinental railroad had improved many things, but that’s not all this railroad