Download The Transcontinental Railroad

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The Transcontinental Railroad
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The Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad line built in the United States between
1863 and 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and the Union Pacific Railroad. The
railroad connected the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States.
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The construction and operation of the line was authorized by the Pacific Railroad Acts of
1862 and 1864 during the Civil War. Congress supported it with government bonds, or better
known as subsidies*. The United States government also provided grants of government-owned
land to help the construction of the railroad. The completion of the railroad was an engineering
feat. The railroad was completed at Promontory Summit, Utah.
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The railroads led to the decline of traffic on the Oregon and California Trail which had
populated most of the west. The railroad provided much faster, safer and cheaper transport east
and west for people and goods.
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The labor that had worked for the Union Pacific mostly consisted of Irish immigrants. The
Central Pacific workforce consisted of Chinese immigrants. The work was hard, and pay was
low. The Chinese endured long hours, usually 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Winters in
the mountains were horrible with snowdrifts, avalanches and cold weather. Working in the
deserts became horrible as well with hot weather and no shade. White men who worked on the
railroad were paid $35.00 a month plus room and board and the Chinese were paid $25.00 a
month, but paid for their own supplies.
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Over 1,000 miles of track had been laid in the construction of the railroad. After its
completion, news spread quick throughout the country. Due to this new railroad, trade boomed.
Transportation of goods, materials, and resources across the country was now quicker and
cheaper. Also people who wanted to settle out west didnʼt need to travel by wagon like those
who had taken the Oregon Trail did in the mid-19th century.
*Subsidies - A sum of money granted by the government or a public body to assist an industry
or business.