Transcontinental Railroad Flashcards
What was the transcontinental railroad?
A railroad that spanned the US continent.
What was the purpose of the transcontinental railroad?
It connected the east and west coasts of the United States and encouraged people to settle in the West and develop its economy.
Which two companies were chosen and funded by Congress to build the railroad in 1862?
The Union Pacific and the Central Pacific.
Where did the Central Pacific start building?
In California and was to build east.
Where did the Union Pacific start building?
In Washington DC and was to build west.
When and where did the two railroad building companies meet?
In Utah in May 1869
What was the Golden Spike?
A spike hammered to honor the completion of the railroad at a ceremony in which hundreds of railroad workers, managers and journalists gathered.
What was standard time?
Standard time was set up by railroad companies, which divided the US into four time zones to avoid confusion over timekeeping.
What did the transcontinental railroad bring to parts of the West?
Many settlers migrated to the West, which were mostly Native American land.
What did trains bring to settlers?
Trains brought settlers necessities such as lumber and food.
What did trains bring to Native American land.
Trains brought miners who claimed land,
How did the railroad affect the US in general?
Railroads linked the nation economically, Trains from the West brought raw materials. Trains from the East carried manufactured goods.
