Section #2 (The Age of Railroads)

Quick-Write What types of technology or

innovation have the greatest impact on our lives today? Why?

Main Idea Growth of Railroads

Helped the Country Led to corruption Required government regulation

Railroads grow• New passenger and sleeping cars built• Products shipped by rail• Cities with rail lines grew (Chicago)• Increased Western growth

1. In what year were the most miles of track?

2. In what region overall were the most miles of track?

3. In what region were there no railroads in 1840 and 1850? Why?

Railroads Span time & space RRs made local transit reliable

and westward expansion possible

The US government saw the importance of RRs so they gave huge land grants and loans to the RR companies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4qYUnm4ZYY

Transcontinental Railroad May 10, 1869- Central Pacific and

Union Pacific Railroads met in Utah to create the nation’s 1st Transcontinental Railroad

The life of railroad workers was dangerous: disease, injuries, and attacks from Native Americans killed many workers

Workers CP=Chinese immigrants UP=Irish immigrants and Civil War vets

Reality of the Rails

William Le Baron Jenney: American architect and engineer who became known as the Father of the American skyscraperWilliam Kelly: American ironmaster who invented a new process of steelmaking (Bessemer process)

Big Question:Explain how the railroad industry was both helping and hurting our country during the late 1800s and early 1900s.