What effect did the building of the Transcontinental Railroad have on American life?
The Transcontinental Railroad meant that the frontier could be extended with a greater movement of population. Thus, the railroad also allowed people to change their place of living with greater ease than ever before.
What effects did building a railroad system in the US have?
It made commerce possible on a vast scale. In addition to transporting western food crops and raw materials to East Coast markets and manufactured goods from East Coast cities to the West Coast, the railroad also facilitated international trade.
Who actually built the Transcontinental Railroad?
From 1863 and 1869, roughly 15,000 Chinese workers helped build the transcontinental railroad. They were paid less than American workers and lived in tents, while white workers were given accommodation in train cars.
Why was the construction of the transcontinental railroad important?
The building of the transcontinental railroad opened up the American West to more rapid development. With the completion of the track, the travel time for making the 3,000-mile journey across the United States was cut from a matter of months to under a week.
Who are the two companies in the transcontinental railroad?
Two Competing Companies: The Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroad
Who was the Chief Engineer of the transcontinental railroad?
Chinese laborers at work on construction for the railroad built across the Sierra Nevada Mountains, circa 1870s. After General Grenville Dodge, a hero of the Union Army, took control as chief engineer, the Union Pacific finally began to move westward in May 1866.
Who was in charge of construction of the Central Pacific Railroad?
In 1865, after struggling with retaining workers due to the difficulty of the labor, Charles Crocker (who was in charge of construction for the Central Pacific) began hiring Chinese laborers. By that time, some 50,000 Chinese immigrants were living on the West Coast, many having arrived during the Gold Rush.