1. The Railroads & the West

2. The Railroads

3. The Transcontinental Railroad
[Video] m4bsv4cR9tFfTdpKlzmGSwWqfU2cr6KAQXqw
Definition: A railroad that extends across the continent of the United States
This revolutionized the West: both people and products could be transported thousands of miles at an incredibly fast pace
Comparison of speeds [NYC to SF]:
-----> Walking = 857 hours
-----> Transcontinental Railroad [on June 14, 1876] = 83 hours & 39 minutes
-----> Airplane = 5 hours
-----> Teleporting = 1 second (still waiting on the technology…)

4. The Transcontinental Plan
The two railroads: The Union Pacific Railroad (from Nebraska to the West) and the Central Pacific Railroad (from California to the East)
Central Pacific’s workers = Chinese immigrants
Union Pacific’s workers = Civil War veterans and Irish immigrants
“The Golden Spike” = On May 10, 1869, the two rail lines met at Promontory Point, Utah, where a golden spike was driven into the railroad to connect the U.P. and C.P.
“May God continue the unity of our Country as this Railroad unites the two great Oceans of the world.” – prayer at the Golden Spike

5. The Chinese & the Railroads
Charles Crocker – he hired his first 150 Chinese laborers to build railroads for the Central Pacific Railroad. Crocker faced criticism, as many of these Chinese workers were small. His response: “They built the Great Wall of China, didn’t they?”
“Coolies”—the nickname of the Chinese, railroad workers
Many of the coolies had already come to the West Coast during the Gold Rush, though others had come specifically for the railroad work
Overall, the “coolies” did an amazing job and helped the railroad industry become a successful operation (about 10,000 Chinese immigrants were eventually hired by Crocker)
[video NYP]

6. The Vanderbilts
[Video] built-america-the-rise-of-cornelius-vanderbilt
The most important business of the late 1800s: Transportation
By the time of his death, Cornelius Vanderbilt’s railroads connected New York City to most of the important Midwestern cities, even stretching northward to Ontario, Canada
His greater influence: he set the standard for “big businesses” of the early 1900s— do everything bigger, better, and faster

7. The Time Zones
To ensure safety and avoid collisions, 4 time zones were implemented (an idea borrowed from Great Britain)
[video] states-william-heuisler

8. The West

9. The Lone Ranger Video Clip
[Lone Ranger clip]

10. Key Points from “The West”
Pikes’ Peak—Zebulon Pike discovered gold in the Colorado Rockies [Mountains]
Texas Longhorns—The meat from these cows helped Westerners financially flourish
The Homestead Act—Settlers could acquire up to 160 acres of land by simply taking care of the land for $10
Custer’s Last Stand—This was a fierce battle between Col. George Custer (“White Chief with Yellow Hair”) and the Sioux Indians, part of the Sioux War of

14. “Buffalo Bill” Cody
See Video