Transcontinental Railroad

1. Transcontinental Railroad 8th grade American Studies Mr. Norred

2. The Transcontinental Railroad • In 1862 President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act creating two railroad companies to compete in completing a railroad from coast to coast. • Select where you would like to begin your learning. Union PacificConstructionCentral Pacific

3. Central Pacific Railroad • The Central Pacific Railroad was lead by “the big four” • Leland Stanford, president • Collis Huntington, vice-president • Charles Crocker, field manager • Mark Hopkins, treasurer

4. Route • The Central Pacific started in Sacramento, California and built eastward. Central Pacific

5. Problems • Mountains (Sierra Nevada) • Snow • How do you get through mountains? • Supplies • Distance they had to travel from the east coast • Took 3-7 months to receive them • Financial • The “big four” had to build the first 200 miles of track with their own money

6. Workers • With more and more workers leaving the railroad to search for gold and silver, Crocker hired some ten thousand Chinese. • Why? • Cheap • Less than a dollar a day • Worked jobs that others refused • Performed with consummate skill under horrible conditions

7. Quiz • Who was not a member of the “big four”? • Charles Crocker • Collis Huntington • Theodore Judah • Leland Stanford

8. CORRECT!!! • Nice job you remembered the “big four” consisted of Hopkins, Stanford, Crocker and Huntington. Theodore Judah had the idea of a transcontinental railroad but was not a member of the “big four”. • Move on to the next question.

9. Are you sure?? • Maybe we should go back and review what we learned. Make sure you look over the key players of the Central Pacific Railroad. Permission to use image is being sought.

10. Central Pacific Railroad • The Central Pacific Railroad was lead by “the big four” • Leland Stanford, president • Collis Huntington, vice-president • Charles Crocker, field manager • Mark Hopkins, treasurer

11. Quiz • Click on all the problems the Central Pacific ran into during construction. Native Americans Workers Leaving Mountains Tornadoes Lack of Money Supply Issues Buffalo Snow • Return to the home slide and pick a new topic.

12. Union Pacific Railroad • The Union Pacific Railroad was lead by: • Thomas Durant, vice president and active head of the railroad • Oaks Ames, principal financial backer • Grenville Dodge, lead construction • John and Dan Casement, organized the workers and handled money Dodge Durant

13. Route • The Union Pacific started in Omaha, Nebraska and built westward. Union Pacific

14. Problems • Native Americans (Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho) • Destroyed track • Attacked workers • Weather • Rain brought floods, washed out the tracks • Tornadoes • Terrain • Flood Plains • The Snake River

15. Workers • The Union Pacific had a difficult time finding workers early on. • Things changed in 1865. • Civil War ended • Ex-slaves needed work • Former soldiers needed work • Irish labor from New York • Cheap

16. Quiz • Through what states did the Union Pacific build tracks? A. California, Utah, Nevada B. Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming C. Nebraska, Colorado, Utah D. California, Colorado, Utah

17. CORRECT!!! • Nice job!! By using the map, you were able to discover through what states the Union Pacific laid track. • Move on to the next question.

18. Are you sure?? • Maybe you should go back and review the map of the route and look at what states the track goes through. Permission to use image is being sought.

19. Route • The Union Pacific started in Omaha, Nebraska and built westward. Union Pacific

20. True or False The end of the American Civil War had a large impact on the Union Pacific Railroad. TrueFalse

21. Correct!! • Nice Job!! The American Civil War provided the Union Pacific with thousand of workers. Former soldiers needed work and the Union Pacific provided them jobs. • Return to the home page and pick a new topic.

22. INCORRECT!! • Go back and review the problems the Union Pacific faced. Finding workers was an ongoing issue until the war ended. Permission to use image is being sought.

23. Workers • The Union Pacific had time finding workers early on. • Things changed in 1865. • Why? • Civil War ended • Former soldiers needed work • Irish labor from New York • Cheap

24. Construction • Jobs • Surveyor • Avoid steep grade • find shortest route • Graders • Level and smooth track bed • Tough work, 12 hour days

25. Construction • Jobs Continued • Rail Setters • Laid the rails • Tough physical work • Spikers • Laid spikes every 4 feet 8 1/2 “ • Spikes were 6 inches long • Three swings per spike • Tampers • Followed with gravel or sand to fill between ties

26. Cost • The government would provide subsidies for the amount of track the companies laid • Flat land • $16,000 per mile • Mountain country • $48,000 per mile

27. Summary • On May 10, 1869 the two companies met at Promontory Point, Utah. • The Central Pacific set a record of laying 10 miles of track in one day, a record that stands today. • Proceed to review question

28. Quiz • If a company laid down 10 miles of track on flat land and 20 miles over mountain country, how much money would the government provide? • $800,000 • $1,120,000 • $480,000 • $1,440,000

29. Are you sure?? • Maybe we should go back and review what we learned. Make sure you look over what the government pays for the different types of land. Permission to use image is being sought.

30. Cost • The government would provide subsidies for the amount of track the companies laid • Flat Land • $16,000 per mile • Mountain country • $48,000 per mile

31. Correct!! • Nice Job!! You figured out that the government pays $16,000 per mile of flat land and $48,000 for mountain country. • Return home