Railroads Transform the Nation Chapter 6 Section 2

transcontinental railroad: A railroad that spanned the entire continent

standard time: A system adopted in 1918 that divided the United States into four time zones

Why did Americans want to build a transcontinental railroad? Americans wanted to build a transcontinental railroad to help settle West and develop its economy.

How was the transcontinental railroad financed (paid for)? The transcontinental railroad was financed by the government loaning them millions of dollars, the government gave the companies 20 square miles of land for every mile of track laid and they could sell the land to raise money.

Which company/companies built the transcontinental railroad? The Central Pacific and Union Pacific built the transcontinental railroad.

What problems did the Central Pacific face when hiring workers? The problem the Central Pacific faced when hiring workers was most men wanted to strike it rich in the California gold fields.

How did Chinese workers benefit the Central Pacific? The Chinese workers benefitted the Central Pacific because they were small, efficient, fearless, hard working and drank tea instead of unboiled water. This allowed them to stay healthy.

Where did the Union Pacific get workers? The Union Pacific hired former soldiers, freed slaves, Native Americans, and a lot of Irish immigrants.

What was unusual about the way the Union Pacific workers ate their meals? The unusual way the Union Pacific workers ate their meals was their plates were nailed to the table.

How did the Union Pacific and Central Pacific companies celebrate the completion of the transcontinental railroad? The Central Pacific and Union Pacific celebrated the completion of the railroad by putting a golden spike in where the two tracks met.

Why did the country need a standard time? The country needed standard time because it was too hard to make train schedules when every community went by its own time.

How did the railroads benefit the economy? The railroad benefitted the economy by linking the economies of West and East.

Were there more railroads in the Eastern or Western half of the country? There were more railroads in the Eastern half of the country.

What do you think each of the four time zones was named for? The Eastern and Central zone is named for its position in the country. Mountain and Pacific zone are named for nearby geographic locations.