How did the transcontinental railroad impact the economy of the West?
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Driving in of the Golden Spike in Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10th, 1869 to mark the completion of the first American transcontinental railroad - joining the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads. Show
Map of the four major transcontinental railroads, each bringing vast amounts of demographic, economic, and environmental change to their respective regions. With the aid of the federal government in both massive land grants and financial funding, railroad entrepreneurs and private investors transformed the western United States. From making locations like Las Vegas, Aspen, Sun Valley and other majorly populated and popular cities possible - in addition to national parks - railroads allowed both the population and preservation of all the west. Constructed in response to the gold rush of the 1850's and 60's, investors and businessmen realized the rush would eventually end and new markets must be explored. Advertising tourism and railway traffic forced railroad companies to align themselves with certain groups with certain values, such as environmentalists. Preserving the untouched and exotic natural beauty of the west, from the southern Grand Canyon to the northern mountains and evergreen forests, railroad companies promoted national parks and conservation. Such promotion also coincided with the new markets of exotic resorts and domestic tourism, a part of a new leisure travel business railroad companies advertised along side newly formed national parks. Subsidized railroad companies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were the most important factor in the substantial increase in leisure travel related markets such as national parks, resorts, and the rise of major western cities with the increased accessibility to once isolated and untraversed regions. If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website. If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked. To find other documents in Loc.gov relating to this topic, use the term railroad with such other terms as land grants, construction and construction camps, transcontinental, and Railroad Strike of 1894.The completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 had a huge impact on the West. It encouraged further settlement in the West as it made travelling their cheaper and easier. It also encouraged the development of towns along the railroad, as the railroad made the west less isolated. It had a positive effect of the economy as it helped facilitate trade between the east and west of the USA, and between the USA and Asia. Likewise, it encouraged the growth of the cattle industry. The completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 had a huge impact on the West. It encouraged further settlement in the West as it made travelling their cheaper and easier. It also encouraged the development of towns along the railroad, as the railroad made the west less isolated. It had a positive effect of the economy as it helped facilitate trade between the east and west of the USA, and between the USA and Asia. Likewise, it encouraged the growth of the cattle industry. The railroad also made homestead life easier. It meant homesteaders felt less isolated as they could visit friends and family from home. Before the railroad, homesteaders would have to travel back via the Oregon Trail! The railroad also gave homesteaders greater access to manufactured goods, as they could be transported easily and quickly across the railway. However, the Transcontinental Railroad had a negative impact on the Plains Indians. They were forced to move away from the railroad despite it running through Indian Territory. The workers often killed buffalo for meat, and the track itself disrupted the Plains Indians buffalo hunting. Because of this, Plains Indians attacked railroad works and this brought them into conflict with the US army. The ceremony for the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10, 1869; completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad. At center left, Samuel S. Montague, Central Pacific Railroad, shakes hands with Grenville M. Dodge, Union Pacific Railroad (center right). National Archives By 1881, it was routine to travel by train from eastern cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore to San Francisco. The round trip that took Lewis and Clark two-and-a-half years in 1803 was now a nine-day journey. The consequences of this new technology were profound. Nothing in the West would ever be the same again. Guiding QuestionsHow did the Transcontinental Railroad change the U.S. economy? How did the Transcontinental Railroad affect immigration, labor, and the environment? Learning ObjectivesExamine the short and long term effects of the Transcontinental Railroad on the regions through which it passed. Analyze archival documents to illustrate the effect of the Transcontinental Railroad on the U.S. Evaluate the competing perspectives on the construction of the railroad.
Subjects & Topic: U.S. History Grade: 6-8 Content Standards NCSS.D2.His.1.3-5. Create and use a chronological sequence of related events to compare developments that happened at the same time. NCSS.D2.His.2.3-5. Compare life in specific historical time periods to life today. NCSS.D2.His.3.3-5. Generate questions about individuals and groups who have shaped significant historical changes and continuities. NCSS.D2.His.4.3-5. Explain why individuals and groups during the same historical period differed in their perspectives. NCSS.D2. His.5.3-5. Explain connections among historical contexts and people’s perspectives at the time. Preparation Lesson Activities Activity 1. There's a Train a-Comin'To heighten student anticipation for learning about the railroads, share railroad-related poems and songs, or read a book aloud to the class. Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Page offers many terrific suggestions on its Trains Page, including "Death of the Iron Horse," by Paul Goble, which tells of the arrival of the rails from the point of view of the Native Americans.
Activity 2. When Is That Train a-Comin'? Where Is It Going?Share with the class an image of an 1881 Through Train Schedule. Give students the chance to review the schedule and make observations. Which cities were connected by the railroad? What information can be ascertained from the schedule? Which cities are served? Give the students a map of the U.S. on which they can indicate the cities being served and the connections between them. A printable map of the 50 states is available through the EDSITEment resource National Geographic Xpeditions. To emphasize the entry of new states into the Union after the growth of the railroads, students could use instead—or additionally, for comparison purposes—a map of the United States in 1880, available through a link from the EDSITEment-reviewed New Perspectives on The West. If desired, compare the 1880 map to a map from 1900 to demonstrate how many states were admitted to the Union in the interim. If desired, have students compare contemporary train routes with those of 1880:
Activity 3. Because of the Train a-Comin'?The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad led to an era of change for the U.S. Read and discuss with the class the following background on railroads and the West from the EDSITEment-reviewed website American Memory:
It is the student's or group's responsibility to describe the image or document. After it is described, each document should be displayed. When all the images have been revealed, challenge your students to create cause-and-effect connections based on the documents. Explain that railroads brought many changes and that significant change in one aspect of our society often has a "ripple" effect that changes other aspects. Give each group the opportunity to use photos and documents to create cause-and-effect ladders. The connections the students make are hypotheses based on the evidence at hand. An Example of a Cause and Effect Ladder:
Students can show cause and effect using as few as two photos or documents, or as many as they can justify through their explanations. Proceed from one group to the next, as each makes a different cause-and-effect connection. Activity 4. Because of the Train a-Comin'!After the students have created their cause-and-effect ladders, they will work with the Timeline of Events in the West, on the EDSITEment resource New Perspectives on the West, for the 1860s, 1870s and 1880s to look for events that validate student cause-and-effect hypotheses suggested in Activity 3. Divide the class into six groups, each assigned events as shown on the timelines provided. (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view timelines.) Make sure each group has at least one strong reader. Give the students time to look over the list. Proceed chronologically as each group names one or more events that relate to the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Students should explain the connection based on the discussion in Activity 3. Further research on any of these events would make a good extension of the lesson. How did railroads affect the economy of the West?Railroads became a major industry, stimulating other heavy industries such as iron and steel production. These advances in travel and transport helped drive settlement in the western regions of North America and were integral to the nation's industrialization.
What were the impacts of the railroads into the West?The railroad opened the way for the settlement of the West, provided new economic opportunities, stimulated the development of town and communities, and generally tied the country together.
How did the transcontinental railroad affect the US economy?It made commerce possible on a vast scale.
In addition to transporting western food crops and raw materials to East Coast markets and manufactured goods from East Coast cities to the West Coast, the railroad also facilitated international trade.
How the transcontinental railroad changed the West?Connecting the two American coasts made the economic export of Western resources to Eastern markets easier than ever before. The railroad also facilitated westward expansion, escalating conflicts between Native American tribes and settlers who now had easier access to new territories.
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