The Trancontinental Railroad
Vail Mountain School Grade 8
Although many changes occurred in the mid 1800’s in America, such as the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War, the Transcontinental Railroad profoundly changed the U.S. This tremendous project, partly funded by Congress, was one of the key factors that encouraged foreign immigration to America. The Transcontinental Railroad certainly instilled a sense of overwhelming pride in this nation, and it paved the way for the development of the West; however, the construction of the railroad relied upon slave-like labor and the usurpation of Native American lands. Indeed, the Transcontinental Railroad was a monumental accomplishment for the United States, ...
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11). In 1845, Asa Whitney changed the government’s mind about constructing a railroad. He proposed a plan for the federal
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government to fund a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Whitney was motivated by frustration. It took months to get American made goods to Asia. Therefore, a Transcontinental Railroad across the United States would increase trade with countries in the Eastern Hemisphere because it would take a substantially shorter time to reach Asia from the West Coast. In return, America would receive silk, spices, tea, and other foreign made goods. The settlement of the Oregon territory and the discovery of gold in California increased support for the massive project. In Whitney’s argument he stated, “Only a Transcontinental Railroad could develop the wilderness West of the Great Lakes” (Blumberg 12). Although support for a Transcontinental Railroad was strong, Northern states opposed because a railroad in the Southern states would ...
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after the first 40 miles of track were built.
A man named Theodore Judah was nominated to find people who would invest heavily in the companies. On one of his crusades for investors, Judah gave a speech in Sacramento. In California he stated, “You will have control of business interests that will make you fortune and fame” (Blumberg 22). After his speech he had only convinced one person, Collis Huntington. Later, Judah gave another speech above Huntington’s store, which was the most prosperous hardware store in the West. “Judah also managed to persuade Mark Hopkins, Huntington’s partner, Charles Crocker, who owned a grocery store, and Leland Standford, who operated a wholesale ...
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"The Trancontinental Railroad." Essayworld.com. May 9, 2006. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Trancontinental-Railroad/45669.
"The Trancontinental Railroad." Essayworld.com. May 9, 2006. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Trancontinental-Railroad/45669.
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