The Growth of the Railroads

1
The Growth of the Railroads

• 1865-1900

2
Mining Is Big Business

• 1858 gold discovered on Pikes Peak
• Most gold was deep in underground lodes
• 1859 silver bearing ore discovered in Nevada

3
Railroads Connect East to West

• The rise of the mining frontier was dependent on
  transportation.
• Between 1865 and 1890 the number of miles of
  track grew from 35,000 to more than 150,000.
• Construction was supported from government
  subsidies.
• Land was purchased or obtained from treaties with
  Native Americans.
• Towns offered cash subsidies to make sure the
  railroads come through their towns.

4
The Transcontinental Railroad

• Union Pacific began laying track westward from
  Omaha, Nebraska.
• Relied on Irish and African American Workers
• The Central Pacific worked eastward from
  Sacramento.
• Employed 10,000 Chinese laborers
• Each company wanted to cover a greater distance
  in order to receive more of the government
  subsidies.

5
(No Transcript)
6
Completion of the Railway

• Construction was completed on May 10, 1869.
• The two sets of track met at Promotory Summit in
  Utah Territory.
• The final spike was driven by Leland Stanford,
  governor of California.

7
Driving the GOLDEN SPIKE-1869
8
Effects of the Railroads

• By 1883 two more transcontinental lines and
  dozens of shorter lines connected cities in the
  west.
• They brought thousands of workers and
  manufactured goods West
• Carried metals and produce East
• Boosted the steel industry because of demand for
  track.
• Towns popped up along routes. Grew into cities.
• Railroads even changed how people measured time!
• The country was divided into FOUR time zones.