Lesson 10.1 Mining, Railroads and the Economy

Immigrants from this country were used by the Central Pacific Railroad

China

What was the subsidy offered to the railroads for completing the first transcontinental railroad?

Congress lent money to the railroads and grants of land. For every mile of track put down in a state, 20 sections of land along the route were given; for a territory it was 40 sections of land along the route. The government ignored Indian claims to the land and 45 million acres of land given to the railroads.

Time Zones United States

Created in 1883 to standardized railroad schedules as prior to this each town kept its own time.

George Pullman

Designed the sleeping and dinner rail road cars (1864) which made travel by rail much more comfortable; cars call Pullman cars

Rebate

Discount; a return of some money to large shippers - railroads did this to keep their biggest customers from using the competition.

How did farmers react to high railroad prices?

Farmers resorted to burning their crops for fuel rather than pay the high shipping costs. They also formed the Populist Party. They hoped the Populist Party would regulate rates or take over the railroads altogether. Some states regulated rates but it did little to end the abuses (bribes) of the railroads.

Subsidy

Financial aid in the form of money or land; Congress offered this aid to private companies to build railroads in the west.

What were two major technological changes to rail travel?

First the air brake allowed trains to travel at greater speeds and become much safer. Second, rail travel became more comfortable with sleeping, bathrooms and dining cars now available.

Ghost Town

Formed when the ore ran dry and the townspeople had no other source of income so the town is abandoned.

How was a network created?

In 1886 the gauge was standardized (northern sytel gauge adopted) which allowed trains to travel on different lines

Promontory Point

Place were the Union Pacific Railraid and the Central Pacific Railroad joined; located just north of the Great Salt Lake.

Leland Stanford

President of the Central Pacific Railroad and was instrumental in building the first transcontinental railroad across the west.

What changes did railroads bring to the way goods were produced, distributed and consumed?

Production allowed for raw materials to be shipped to the factories and finished goods sent across the country. Consumers now had access to more goods by rail. Also farmers could ship their crops and receive consumer goods as well.

What was the problem with early rail travel?

Rail lines were short (less than 50 miles) and served only local areas; also the gauges were different so passengers and cargo had to be off loaded and reloaded onto other trains to continue to travel (this was slow and expensive).

Departments formed for shipping, accounting, equipment management

Railroads created these in order to run the large railroads more efficiently

How did railroads benefit the country as a whole?

Railroads made money for the investors but they also employed thousands of workers who laid the tracks/worked for the railroad. They also helped passengers travel and other businesses to ship goods and grow. Finally railroads benefited consumers who received goods by rail.

How did the railroads help the nation expand?

Railroads made possible the rapid growth of the economy. Railroads led to demand for steel and other industries booming employing thousands of people. Railroads led to new business techniques and led to the growth of American cities.

Why were rebates given by the large railroads?

Rebates allowed railroads to keep their largest customers who were more likely to pay their bills; also few customers meant less paperwork and it was cheaper to do business.

Vigilante

Self-appointed law officers; mining camps often used these men to keep law and order despite them not having an official powers.

"Danged blue stuff"

Silver specks that clogged mining equipment and thought to be a nuisance until miners took it to San Francisco for analysis; turned Comstock Lode into an even richer mine

Union Pacific Railroad

Started building in Omaha, NE and built westward with the help of Irish immigrant labor

Central Pacific Railroad

Started building in Sacramento, CA and built eastward with the help of Chinese immigrant labor.

"Done"

Telegraph message sent at the completion of the first transcontinental railroad.

Consolidate

Term meaning to combine; larger railroads bought or forced out of business smaller railroads. The Pennsylvania Railroad combined 73 different lines

Consequently

Term which means as a result

Why did businessmen race to construct rail lines after the Civil War?

The Civil War showed the value of rail lines shipping troops and supplies. This led to massive construction and there was much money to be made in owning a rail road to move passengers and cargo.

Why did the Union Pacific and Central Pacific turn to immigrant labor to get the railroads built?

The labor was back-breaking dangerous work and the Civil War was occurring back east which made it hard to find American workers.

What was the impact of the completion of the transcontinental railroads?

The transcontinental railroads led to settlement across the west as people, mail, supplies could move quickly and cheaply; also, "railroad towns" sprang up along the tracks.

What was the problem with vigilante justice?

They had no official authority, their punishments like lynching were extreme, no trails were held to protect the innocent.

What happened on May 10, 1869

Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory Point, Utah

Pool

When businessmen agree to divide the business in an area and agree not to compete with each other; this allows them to raise prices. It is illegal today.

Gauge

Width between the tracks; at first many railroads used different widths until a standard with was agreed upon in the 1886

philanthropist

a person who donates a large portion of their fortune to charitable causes

Railroad Network

a system of connected rail lines that all have the same gauge

Cut-throat competition

slashing prices in order to drive your competitor out of business; then raise your rates once they are gone

Golden Spike

the final spike driven at Promontory Point, UT to signal the completion of the first transcontinental railroad

Gauge

the width between the rails; many railroads had different widths until they were standardized

Why were railroads both the cause and victims of the Panic of 1893?

By the 1890s railroads had overbuilt and many were forced to close including the Reading Railroad and the Philadelphia Railroad. When railroads closed thousands lost their jobs both in the railroads and other related businesses like steel.

James Hill

Canadian born railroad owner who built the Great Northern transcontinental railroad; it ran from Everett, WA to Duluth, MN; he received no subsidies from Congress

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Own most of the rail lines between NY and the Great Lakes region; owned the NY Central RR and was the most powerful rail road owner in the 1860s and 70s.

List problems caused by mining activity in the west

pollution, deforestation, Native-Americans removed from their land, foreign miners abused

Quote on the Golden Spike

"May God continue to unify our Country as the Railroad unites the two great Oceans of the world"

Transcontinental Railroad

A railroad that stretches across the continent; Congress would encourage construction of these in order to spur settlement in the West.

Lode

A rich vein of gold or silver

Network

A system of connected rails; this made it easier to ship goods long distances

Lure

A thing that entices a person to pursue a task or go somewhere; gold and silver strikes enticed prospectors and settlers to move to the area

Quote "iron horse"

American Indians refered to the railroad as this because of its belching black smoke and high speed of travel.

Grenville Dodge

American civil engineer responsible for much of the railroad construction in the western and southwestern us during the nineteenth century

George Westinghouse

Inventor of the air-brake 1869 which revolutionized rail travel as trains could now travel much faster and were much safer

Immigrants from this country were used by the Union Pacific Railroad

Ireland

Subsidy

financial aid given by Congress to encourage the building of the transcontinental railroad; aid came in the form of money and land. Congress did this to benefit the entire nation.

Henry Comstock

given credit for the rich silver mine found in Virginia City, NV

The Commodore

nickname for Cornelius Vanderbilt

Comstock Lode

one of the richest silver mines ever found in the Americas