1. The Expansion of Railroads Unit II- The Gilded Age

2. Railroads Span Time and Space A National Network –Transcontinental Railroad - railroad built by the Central Pacific RR (from west: Sacramento CA- Chinese) and the Union Pacific RR (from East: Omaha, NE- Irish, Civil War Vets, Southern African Am.) and met at Promontory Point, Utah. Romance and Reality - Romance: dreams of available land, adventure, fresh start, jobs. Reality: Accidents, Nat. Am. Attacks, Disease Railroad Time –Professor C.F. Dowd - in 1869proposed the earth be divided into 24 time zones. –Time Zones- U.S. (EST, CST, MST, PST)

3. Opportunities and Opportunist New Towns and New Markets Pullman –George M. Pullman - built a factory for manufacturing sleepers and other RR cars on the Illinois prairie. Own town that provided clean, well-constructed brick houses and apt. bldngs. w/ at least 1 window in ea. Room. Town offered services and facilites: Dr.’s offices, shops, & an athletic field. Cut pay and did not lower rent leading to violent strike in 1894. Credit Mobilier - a construction co. formed by stockholders in the Union Pacific RR giving this co. a contract to lay track at 2-3 times actual cost- pocketing the profits.

4. The Grange and Railroads Railroad Abuses - misuse of govt. land grants which RR sold to other bus. Rather than settlers. Also fixed prices keeping farmers in debt and charged diff. customers diff. rates. Granger Laws - est. max freight and Passenger rates and prohibit discrimination. –Munn v. Illinois - Supreme Ct. case upholding the Granger Laws giving states the right to regulate the RRs for the benefit of farmers and consumers. Interstate Commerce Act Panic and Consolidation