1. Railroads Transform the Nation
An Industrial Society
Chapter 20, Section 2

2. Guess How This Relates?

3. Essential Questions
How can a transportation system influence a countries’ economy?
Who funded the building of the transcontinental railroad? Why?
Who helped to build the first transcontinental railroad?
How did the building of the transcontinental railroad impact the United States?

4. Why Build A Transcontinental Railroad?
Encourage Settlement of the West
Develop the Economy of the United States
Bring Natural Resources of the West to Eastern Factories
Connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific (Manifest Destiny)

5. Central Pacific Railroad & Union Pacific Railroad Co.
U.S. Government Hired 2 Companies to Build the Transcontinental Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad:
Start in Sacramento California & Build East
Union Pacific Railroad:
Start in Omaha Nebraska & Build West

8. Central Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad

9. Railroad Companies Needed $$$ to Build Across the U.S.
U.S. Government Gave Union Pacific & Central Pacific $$$ Millions in Loans
U.S. Also Gave 20 Miles of Land for FREE for Every 1 Mile of Track Built
Railroad Companies Sold the Extra Land! $$$ Money & New Customers!

11. Central Pacific Railroad
Sacramento, California: Built from West to East
Faced a Labor Shortage:
No Workers
Most Workers left to Become Miners (Gold Strikes)
Hired Chinese Workers to Replace Them

12. Benefits of Hiring the Chinese!
Chinese Workers Turned Out to Be Great Workers!
Hardworking, Efficient, & Fearless
Chinese Culture/Custom Drinks TEA!
Boiled Water
No Bacteria!
Workers Were Never Sick!
Over 10,000 Chinese Were Hired by the Central Pacific Railroad

14. Union Pacific Railroad
Omaha, Nebraska: Built East to West
Hired Mostly Irish Immigrants
Why Irish? Any Ideas?

17. Building the Transcontinental Railroad

22. Transcontinental Railroad
Central Pacific
Chinese
California
Union
Pacific
Irish
Nebraska

23. Promontory Point, Utah May 10th, 1869
Transcontinental Railroad was Completed at Promontory Point, Utah
What Was the Story?

31. Extension of the Transcontinental Railroad (1869-1900)

32. How Did Railroads Alter Time?
All Communities Used to Calculate Time Based on the Sun (Solar Time)
Railroads Changed All of That!
Railroads Created Standard Time Zones

33. Standard Time Zones in U.S.

34. What Time Is It?
If it’s 5pm in New York, What Time is it in Denver, Colorado?
If it’s 5pm in New York, What Time is it in Los Angeles, California?
If it’s 7am in Fargo, North Dakota, What Time is it in New York?
If it’s 6:15 am in Tucson, Arizona, What Time is it in Boston, Massachusetts?

35. Economic Benefits of the Transcontinental Railroad
Railroads Carried Natural Resources from the West to Eastern Markets
Lumber, Livestock, Cattle, Grains, Minerals, Etc…
Eastern Cities Manufactured Natural Resources, Sold Products to the West & the World
$$$ for the U.S.!

36. Railroads Settle the West
Railroads Were Lifelines for Settlers
Trains Provided Lumber, Farm Equipment, Food, & Other Necessities
No Longer Did Settlers Have to Live Near Water:
Just Had to Live Near a Railroad!
More Exploration & Settlement of the West!

37. What Was the Railroads Impact on Native Americans?

38. Proposed New Transportation Railway System in U.S.

39. Essential Questions
How can a transportation system influence a countries’ economy?
Who funded the building of the transcontinental railroad? Why?
Who helped to build the first transcontinental railroad?
How did the building of the transcontinental railroad impact the United States?