The Transcontinental Railroad The Transcontinental Railroad (1869)(1869)

Purpose of the Transcontinental Purpose of the Transcontinental RailroadRailroad

►BusinessesBusinesses Get money by transporting goods Get money by transporting goods

and peopleand people

Purpose of the Transcontinental Purpose of the Transcontinental RailroadRailroad

►GovernmentGovernment Unite the country (east and west Unite the country (east and west

coasts)coasts) Make it easier to transport mail and Make it easier to transport mail and

troopstroops

Two railroadsTwo railroads

►Two railroad companies involved Two railroad companies involved in construction.in construction. Union Pacific and Central PacificUnion Pacific and Central Pacific

►To increase construction speed To increase construction speed (which the government wants)(which the government wants)

Financing the RailroadsFinancing the Railroads

►To get companies to take on the To get companies to take on the enormous task of building the enormous task of building the railroads, the federal government railroads, the federal government gave both land and cash to gave both land and cash to railroad companies.railroad companies.

Land GrantsLand Grants

►200 feet of land on each side of 200 feet of land on each side of the railroad trackthe railroad track Designed for railroad buildings, Designed for railroad buildings,

stations, repair shops, etc.stations, repair shops, etc.

►1 square mile, every other mile, 1 square mile, every other mile, for 5-10 miles beyond that.for 5-10 miles beyond that. Created in a checkerboard fashion.Created in a checkerboard fashion.

MoneyMoney

► Up to $48,000 a Up to $48,000 a mile given to mile given to companies for companies for “building costs”“building costs” They got paid They got paid

more to blast more to blast tunnels through tunnels through mountain terrain.mountain terrain.

1)Chinese immigrants were the primary labor force building the Transcontinental Railroad

2)Often subject to racism and forced to do the most dangerous jobs

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Promontory, UtahPromontory, Utah

►The last spike in the The last spike in the Transcontinental Railroad is Transcontinental Railroad is driven in a large ceremony in driven in a large ceremony in 1869.1869.

The idea of the frontierThe idea of the frontier

►Proposed by historian Frederick Jackson Turner in the early 1900’s.

►Every year up to 1890, there was always a line beyond which no civilization could be located.

►With the completion of the railroads, westward movement of thousands of people and relocation of American Indians onto reservations, the frontier ceased to exist.