The making of America: railroads and ranches changing the plains. Flashcards
define transcontinental railroad.
railroad that connects the east and the west of the USA. (1862-69.)
why did the government want a transcontinental railroad?
easier to exploit west, disturb native americans? , quicker to cross plains, encouraged people to move west- fulfil destiny.
which areas did trainlines originally not stretch to?
west.
how did migrants and pioneers reach the west without trains?
wagons.
which president started the transcontinental railroad?
lincoln.
which line started from Nebraska and which started from California?
central pacific- nebraska?
union pacific- californaia?
what were the companies promised for each mile of track they laid?
plots of land, money for each mile they go.
which geographical features stood in the way of the track?
Sierra Nevada mountain range.
where did the labourers come from?
Ireland and China.
how did they get through the rocky mountains?
dynamite and mining through the mountains.
which peoples were having their land impacted by the railroad?
indigenous tribes such as the cheyenne, sioux and arapaho.
what did the government do to these peoples to stop their interference with the railroad?
force and destruction of the buffalo.
how did native americans respond to the railroad?
violence. attack trams and workers.
where was the mid point?
promontory summit.
how much were labourers now being offered per mile towards the end?
more with every ten miles.
