Railroads
Transportation and communication
Since so many settlers went West people needed a way to send goods and information between the East and the West.
The Pony Express was formed in 1860 to communicate between the East and West. It worked like a relay race. The messengers rode horses back and forth carrying peoples mail. The route was a total of 2,000 miles long. After the invention of telegraph lines which was much faster, put the Pony Express to an end.
When some people wanted to build a transcontinential railroad, the government passed the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and 1864. This act gave railroad companies loans and land grants. The grants could be sold to pay for construction fees. However the government want the trains to carry mail and U.S. troops at a lower cost.
The Central Pacific and the Union Pacific were two railroad companies that built the Transcontinential Railroad. Central Pacific began building the railroad east from Sacramento, California and the Union Pacific started building west from Omaha, Nebraska. These two companies connected their tracks in Promontory, Utah by the gold spike.
The Pony Express was formed in 1860 to communicate between the East and West. It worked like a relay race. The messengers rode horses back and forth carrying peoples mail. The route was a total of 2,000 miles long. After the invention of telegraph lines which was much faster, put the Pony Express to an end.
When some people wanted to build a transcontinential railroad, the government passed the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and 1864. This act gave railroad companies loans and land grants. The grants could be sold to pay for construction fees. However the government want the trains to carry mail and U.S. troops at a lower cost.
The Central Pacific and the Union Pacific were two railroad companies that built the Transcontinential Railroad. Central Pacific began building the railroad east from Sacramento, California and the Union Pacific started building west from Omaha, Nebraska. These two companies connected their tracks in Promontory, Utah by the gold spike.
Key people
Leland Stanford: Central Pacific’s part-time owner
Jay Cooke: The collapse of his banking firm helped start the Panic of 1873
William "Buffalo Bill" Cody: shot thousands of buffalo to feed the workers of Union Pacific.
Jay Cooke: The collapse of his banking firm helped start the Panic of 1873
William "Buffalo Bill" Cody: shot thousands of buffalo to feed the workers of Union Pacific.
Key places
Sacramento, California: Where Central Pacific started building the Transcontinential Railroad.
Omaha, Nebraska: Where Union Pacific started building the Transcontinential Railroad.
Promontory, Utah: Where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific's railroad tracks met and were connected by the gold spike.
Jay Cooke: An investor a raliroad. His banking firm lost all bud=siness and started the Panic of 1873
Omaha, Nebraska: Where Union Pacific started building the Transcontinential Railroad.
Promontory, Utah: Where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific's railroad tracks met and were connected by the gold spike.
Jay Cooke: An investor a raliroad. His banking firm lost all bud=siness and started the Panic of 1873
Legislation & Challenges
Pacific Railway Act of 1862 & 1864: A result of the Transcontinental Railroad. Gave railroad companies loans and grants, that could be sold to pay for construction fees.
Panic of 1873: When Jay Cooke's banking firm when out of business the railroad that had invested in him started the panic. After that a depression came.
Geographical challenges-
Central Pacific: The Central Pacific had to go through the Sierra Nevada Mount. Range. They used much explosive and many men died. The company also experienced 60 feet of snow trapping them during the winter.
Union Pacific: The Union Pacific had to survive the harch winter in the Great Plains
Panic of 1873: When Jay Cooke's banking firm when out of business the railroad that had invested in him started the panic. After that a depression came.
Geographical challenges-
Central Pacific: The Central Pacific had to go through the Sierra Nevada Mount. Range. They used much explosive and many men died. The company also experienced 60 feet of snow trapping them during the winter.
Union Pacific: The Union Pacific had to survive the harch winter in the Great Plains
Effects
The Transcontinential Railroad increased the econemy and population in both parts of the country--East and West. The railroads provided quicker and better ransportation for people and goods. When people were advertising for the trains they said a trip from Omaha, Nebraska to San Franciso, California took only 4 on train but 1 month on a wagon. Companies in the West sent wood and metals to the East to be shipped and manufactured. They invested in people such as Jay Cooke and sometimes it backfired. Jay Cooke's bank firm went out of business and started the Panic of 1873. Even thouh the panic happened people still liked railroads and in 1890 199,000 miles of railraod tracks were built and being used.