Railroads were a huge step in innovations for the United States. The transcontinental Railroad was Built from 1863 to 1869. Taking over six years, the railroad stretched almost 2,000 miles, connecting the Mississippi rivers to the Pacific Coast in San Francisco. Although the transcontinental railroad was one of the biggest things to happen in the railroad industry, there was many other railroads that caused significance. Through the 1850’s and 1860’s alone over 50,000 miles of railroad were built
America’s Transcontinental Railroad Since the beginning of recorded history, mankind has been caught in the middle of being frightened by the unknown and having an intense desire to explore and conquer it. The magnetic draws of potential land, wealth, and happiness have been perpetually found in juxtaposition against the possibilities of exotic foes, disease, and ultimate death. The concept of the desire to command the unknown frontier is clearly seen in midnineteenth century America, and has been
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,
The first transcontinental railroad began was building in 1863. Half of this railroad was built by Chinese immigrants. The Chinese immigrants came to find jobs because there was famine in China. Since the Chinese workers were hard workers and they would do the same job for less, there were soon thousands of Chinese workers. The transcontinental finished building in 1869, but by that time, there were too many Chinese workers in USA looking for jobs. After the railroad was built, the Chinese started
Construction of the Transcontinental Railroad not only affected the United States itself but also anything that inhabited the lands that it was constructed on. As a necessary to build the railroad they had to go through mountains, Native American land, animals homes, etc. Native Americans being inhabitants of the land did not welcome the white settlers which resulted in violent conflict. When it came to building the railroad two companies were assigned the task, pinning them up against each other
“Before the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, it cost nearly $1,000 dollars to travel across the country. After the railroad was completed, the price dropped to $150 dollars.”(History.com Staff). Prior to the railroad the average citizen of America could not afford to travel across the country cheaply. America waited for a means of transportation which would connect them from the Western to Eastern states. The responsibility of creating the railroads were left up to construction companies
The transcontinental railroad replaced the pony express and many other means of transportation, making travel safer and upgrading technology, improving the lives of many. Farmers, for instance, were able to trade more crops they had grown, and quicker. The transcontinental railroad went from Nebraska to California. Say there was a farmer in Nebraska, and he wanted to ship corn to a trading post in Nevada. Without the railroad, travel would take much longer, and the trading post would find another
The Transcontinental Railroad Amid the 1800’s, America was experiencing a period of development known as the Industrial Revolution. America was in its first century of being an autonomous and creative nation. One of the greatest commitments to this huge innovative progression was the foundation of the Transcontinental Railroad. The westward expansion designed to be the key to a nation-building project and a change for the United States.[1] The Pacific Railroads cleared the path in which built
The building of the Transcontinental Railroad changed everything. It was started in 1860 and finished on May 10, 1869. The Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad that linked the eastern and western United States. There were many benefits that came with the Transcontinental Railroad, but where there are pros, there are also cons. The Transcontinental Railroad affected everyone from the Indians, to the Chinese, to the environment. The Transcontinental Railroad affected the Indians mostly, in
thousand, seven hundred and fifty- six miles of railways. The creation of the transcontinental railroad began in 1863. It originated in the northern states and made its way to the west. Nobody knew that one day this new technology would lead to the future that we live today. During the time that the railroad was in the process of being created, many things were escalating in the US, all for the best. The Transcontinental Railroad transformed the United States more economically by creating new opportunities
How did trains and railroads change life in america? The Transcontinental railroad could be well-defined as one of the vast changes in America in the 18th century. The railroad has played significant roles in westward expansion and growth. From the West Coast to the East Coast no longer would people have travel in wagon's nor ships that would take months to reach the other side of the states. They could now travel faster, safer, and cheaper by train (Nelson). In addition, people, people’s belongings
THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD PROJECT The Development, Financing, and Construction The transcontinental railroad system would come to be a huge network of railroads laid out across the North American continent, most famously known for connecting the eastern part of the U.S. railroads with the Pacific west coast area. The greater transcontinental railroad itself consists of several railroads projects, the first of which were the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads, and later, the Northern
The Transcontinental Railroad The Transcontinental Railroad, first known as the Pacific Railroad was an almost a 2000-mile railroad line. It was constructed over a span of six years between 1863 and 1869. It connected the eastern U.S. rail network in Iowa with the Pacific coast at San Francisco Bay. At the time they did not have cars, they had horses and trains. And trains would be faster and safer to transport dry goods and it could also get a lot of people around the United States
The Geographical Effect of the Transcontinental Railroad and the Panama Canal Thematic Essay The Transcontinental Railroad eliminated the need for a dangerous journey for anyone who wanted to travel from America’s East to West. Before its development, travelers would have to embark on a six month journey through the heart of America, passing through dangerous areas like mountains, rivers, and deserts. Another way to reach the other coast was to sail, but that posed a risk of exposure to diseases
Constructing the first transcontinental railroad in the United States of America was arguably our country's crowning achievement for engineering ingenuity and determination in the 19th century. The railroad was a herculean of a task that required extensive proper prior planning, muscle, blood and tears that has rarely ever been seen before or to this day. In addition to the brains behind the operation and the labor force that drove this project to completion, the railroad companies (Central Pacific
circulated about a railroad that would spread across the continent from East to West. Republican congresses ruled for the federal funding of railroad construction, however, all actions were halted for a few years on account of a war. Following the 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
Railroads have been an important part of America’s history. These railroads had a major role in the settlement of the West. The most important railroad in American history is the transcontinental railroad. The transcontinental railroad impacted western settlement by bringing in immigrants, aiding travel to the frontier, and changing people and the economy. The transcontinental railroad was built by two major companies, the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific. The Central Pacific company worked
The first transcontinental Railroad is being called one of the best civil engineering marvels of 19th century. We all know that Necessity is the mother of Invention. All was started in 1849, when gold was discovered in California. After that many people moved to California searching for new opportunities. The overland journey through plains, mountains, rivers and deserts was extremely hard and dangerous. Many people choose to travel by sea and go around Cape Horn at the tip of South America for
labored on the Transcontinental Railroad, a previously unparalleled project to connect the American West Coast with the American
Acheampong Prof. James Garcia US History 102 11/30/2017 Transcontinental Railroad Transcontinental is going across a continent, and transcontinental railroads are the means that are used to go across continents from Eastern to the Western part of United States. The Union Pacific railroad offered railroad transport from New York on the Atlantic Coast, all the way to California, on the Pacific Coast of United States. The project of the railroad terminated in 1869, which was pioneered by two companies