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Railroads

Explore the growth of railroads, railroad abuses, and their impacts on Westward Expansion, transportation, materials/manufacturing, time/space, and society. Discuss the problems faced by the railroad era and its closure.

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Railroads

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  1. Railroads Evaluate the growth of railroads and railroad abuses

  2. APK • What methods of Transportation do you use today? • Airplanes • Cars • Skateboards • Feet • Bikes

  3. Westward Expansion • Before and After Civil War • focus on tying nation from Sea to Sea • Manifest Destiny • Control Indians • Force them to move across country • Take land and give it to Americans • Gave Indians land with oil…ooops • Kill buffalo and massacre Indians • Darker skin so inferior class CFU: Was our view of Native Americans the same as Slaves?

  4. Westward Expansion • Government gave land grants to RR • 10 sq miles for every mile of track in a state • 20 sq miles for every mile of track in a territory • RR went to Europe to bring immigrant to US • Sold land for $2-10 an acre • 1880 – 40% of Nebraska were immigrants • 1880 – 70% of Wisconsin & Minnesota were immigrants Pair Share: What would happen to the Mid-west with the massive land grants?

  5. Materials/Manufacturing • Bessemer Process • Quickly produce high quality steel • Takes impurities out of iron by injecting air • Used Civil War Vets, Irish, Chinese, Af. Ams. to build RR • 1888 – 2000 killed & 20,000 injured • First year of record keeping • Disease and accidents CFU: Why were immigrants used over Americans that lived here?

  6. Time & Space • 1869 – C.E. Dowd - divided the Earth into 24 time zones • US got 4 time zones • Standardized travel and life • 1869 - Transcontinental RR linked East & West • 1890 – 180,000 miles of track • 5 transcontinental routes Pair Share: What do you believe the main reason for having standardized time helped with?

  7. Promontory Point, UtahMay 10, 1869

  8. Life • Sold as a dream of • Travel • diverse destination • Romance • Fresh start • George Pullman created a town for his employees • Provided basic needs • Cut pay • Didn’t lower rent • Big riots in 1894 Pair Share: Is this similar to the American Dream

  9. Pullman Car • George Pullman invents a sleeping car known as a Pullman car

  10. Functions of Railroads • Socio-political • Tied sprawling nation together • A communication network • Opened the country • Railroads moved settlers to new locations. • Commercial • Created and serviced a national (and eventually an international) market • Brought raw materials to manufacturers • Took finished goods to consumers • Were huge consumers themselves • Pioneered new management techniques • Unfamiliar items appeared locally. • Mail arrived faster. • Railroads brought new jobs. • Local stores profited from train traffic. • Sales were not limited to local markets. Pair Share: Are these effects still caused by the railroad today, or has it shifted to a new tchnology?

  11. Problems of the Railroad Era • Too many railroads were built. • Over-expansion frequently ended in bankruptcies. • Failures spread economic disaster to workers, businesses, and farmers. • Railroads resorted to discriminatory practices

  12. Closure

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