Chapter Three, Lesson 1 Rails Across the Nation

1. Chapter Three,Lesson 1Rails Across the Nation Mr.Julian’s Class

2. Unit Essential Question: • How do new transportation methods affect where people live?

3. Lesson Essential Question: • What type of transportation made it possible to travel and move goods across the united States more quickly?

4. Vocabulary • Pony Express • Telegraph • Transcontinental Railroad

5. Linking East and West • In the 1850’s the only railroads were east of the Mississippi River. • To travel from the east to the west you had two choices: • 1. Take a train to St.Louis and then board a stagecoach for the rest of the journey. • 2. Board a ship and sail around the southern tip of south America up to the west coast

6. Linking East and West • In 1860 a new business called the Pony express began delivering mail from Missouri to California in just 10 days.

7. Linking East and West • The Pony Express was a 2,000 mile journey. • Riders would ride about 75 miles every day, trading horses every 10 - 15 miles.

8. Linking East and West • The Pony Express was soon put out of business by the telegraph. • The telegraph sent messages along wires using electricity. • Samuel Morse invented the telegraph and a way to send messages called Morse Code. • The first telegraph across the country was completed in October 1861.

9. The Transcontinental Railroad • The telegraph was great for news and messages but it could not carry people or goods to the west. • Many people believed that the best way to link the east to the west was to build a transcontinental railroad. • President Lincoln favored the railroad.

10. The Transcontinental Railroad • In 1862 congress approved two companies to build the railroad, the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific. • The Union Pacific began building track west from Omaha, Nebraska • The Central Pacific began building track east from Sacramento, California.

11. Across the Plains • The two companies were paid in both land and money. • The company that could lay more track and cover more land faster would get more money and more land. • The Central Pacific had the more difficult track as they had to cut through the Rocky Mountains

12. Across the Plains • The Union Pacific had problems as well. They had a great labor shortage. • This problem ended when the Civil War ended as many veterans joined the railroad. • The most serious problem they faced were the Native Americans.

13. Over the Mountains • The Central Pacific had its fair share of labor problems as well. • Most people living in California came there to find gold and they were not interested in earning the $35 a month pay check. • The Chinese came looking for gold as well. • The Chinese made up 80% of the total workforce.

14. The Golden Spike • On May 10, 1869, the tracks of the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific met at Promontory Point, Utah Territory. • A special golden railroad spike was used for the occasion. • The transcontinental railroad changed travel in the U.S. What use to take months now only took a week.

15. Summary • Why did the telegraph put the Pony Express out of business? • What were two problems that the Union Pacific faced? • What role did the Chinese play in building the Central Pacific railroad?