Support for Photos and Documents on the Effects of the
Transcontinental Railroad
1. Biography of Leland Stanford (1824-1893)
Stanford lived during the railroad era. Stanford and other entrepreneurs become very
wealthy because of the railroads. The wealth that was created was used to help invest in
new inventions and technology.
2. Pony Express Rider in 1861
The Pony Express was the way that mail was transported before telegraph lines and the
railroad were built.
3. The Homestead Act, May 20, 1862
The Homestead Act declared that any citizen or intended citizen could claim 160 acres
(1/4 of a square mile) of surveyed government land. Claimants must "improve" the plot
with a dwelling and grow crops. After five years, if the original filer was still on the land,
it was his property, free and clear.
4. The Pacific Railway Act, July 1, 1862
This act shows that the government promoted and supported the construction of
railroads.
5. Pawnee Warriors, October 1866
Many of the Native American groups living in the Plains area were not happy about the
invasion onto their land. The Pawnee Native Americans, however, were friendly to the
American government and welcomed the Union Pacific to their lands. The railroad
offered Pawnee people free passage on its work trains, which the natives gladly
accepted. They also patrolled the railroad to protect crews and livestock from people
who would try to raid the railways.
6. Silver Mine, 1868
Miners worked to get minerals from the land. Once the railroad was built, the miners
were able to transport the minerals they mined.
7. Stagecoach, 1869
Before the transcontinental railroad, traveling the country was very expensive, took
almost six months, and involved crossing mountains and desert. The only other way to
travel across the country was to travel by sea around the tip of South America or cross
the Panama Canal and continue north to California. Each route took many months, was
expensive and dangerous. The transcontinental railroad made the trip in five days at a
cost of $150.
8. Hotel and Depot at Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1869
Towns quickly developed along the tracks to support the railroads.
9. Laying the Golden Spike, May 10, 1869
Many workers were needed to build the railroads. It was dangerous and hard work.
Immigrants from China and Ireland helped to do many of the difficult jobs. This photo
shows the ceremony in Utah to celebrate the connection of the railroad and telegraph
lines from the east and west.
10. Lucas Groceries, 1870
Railroads allowed for goods to be moved across the country more quickly than before.
Groceries allowed people settling the west and working on the railroads to get food and
supplies.
11. Railroad Bond Prospectus: Central Pacific Railroad, 1870
People invested in the building of the railroad by purchasing stocks and bonds. These
investments helped the railway companies expand.
12. Dodge City
Before the railroads were built, this was a small settlement that served as a stopping
place for travelers and a community for the army fort nearby. Established in 1872,
Dodge City began as a center of the buffalo trade. After the railroads came, the city
grew rapidly. After 1876, Texas cattle and cowboys were the town’s economic
mainstay.
13. Trail of the Hide Hunters
Before the railroads were built, buffalo were plentiful in the west. Native Americans
depended on the buffalo to support their way of life.
14. Rath & Wrights Buffalo Hide Yard, 1878
Buffalo hides were able to be shipped across the country after the railroad was built.
Because of this new delivery system, many more buffalos were hunted for their hides.
Herds nearly disappeared from the west.
15. Chinese Exclusion Act, May 6, 1882
Americans were afraid that the Chinese workers who helped to build the railroad would
take other jobs available to Americans. Because of this, the government would not let
Chinese immigrants into the United States.
16. Cover of Women and Children’s Clothing for Immediate Delivery, 1905
The railroad meant that goods from almost anywhere could be delivered to your
hometown. Mass production meant that goods could be produced in quantity and fewer
goods were being made in the home.
17. Slums along the railroad tracks
It was convenient for railroad workers to live near the railroad, but it was very noisy,
polluted, and didn’t offer much privacy. Because of this, it was not a desirable location
to live.
18. Stagecoach
"Typical stage of the Concord type used by express companies on the overland trails.
Soldiers guard from atop, ca. 1869."
In the early 1800’s, stagecoaches were used to transport people and mail heading west.
The ride was long, difficult, and sometimes dangerous. Travelers risked robbery by
highwaymen and attack by Indians. The trails were rough and rides were
uncomfortable. Passengers had poor food and endured harsh weather. They
sometimes had to walk to rest the horses, and had to push the coach out of mud and
sand. After the country was connected by the transcontinental railroads, stagecoaches
were used for short trips.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Concord_stagecoach_1869.png