The First Transcontinental Railroad Story
When two events finally finished in the 1860s in the United States, few doubted that the country would ever be the same again. One event was the U.S. Civil War and the second was the first transcontinental railroad, which was soon followed by four more transcontinental railroads.
It was originally called the Pacific Railroad and later the Overland Route but we know it better today as the first transcontinental railroad. It was perhaps the most important single event that brought the railroad to the forefront of a growing United States.
If it didn�t actually happen, the building of the first transcontinental railroad might instead have been a great novel of power, greed, politics, corruption and intrigue. The project had them all and more.
The first spikes for the railroad were driven in 1863 during a time in which the United States was involved in its horrific Civil War. Two railroad companies competed � often bitterly � to lay as much track as possible and receive as much federal land and funding as possible. Speed and shortcuts quickly replaced quality control. The Central Pacific built east from Sacramento, California, and the Union Pacific built west from Omaha, Nebraska.
Construction of the railroad opened the door for financial fraud, corruption, graft and bribery. The greatest financial scandal of the 1800s started with the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
The First Transcontinental Railroad Story is just that � the story of those who built the transcontinental railroad from the small town investors who eventually became among the richest in the country to the local and national politicians who understood its importance.
It�s also about the engineers and surveyors as well as the thousands of nameless Irish and Chinese laborers who did the backbreaking and dangerous work on the tracks and in the mountains.
But the benefits and advantages of this first railroad didn�t extend to everyone and The First Transcontinental Railroad Story is about their story as well.
It didn�t start the skirmishes that sometimes turned into savage, often deadly, battles between white settlers and Native Americans, but the transcontinental railroad certainly made it worse.
The First Transcontinental Railroad Story covers the uprisings and wars between the Native Americans and the U.S. Army and other forces. The names of the battles such as Sand Creek, Julesburg, Tongue River, Bozeman Trail and others are all sad chapters in American history.
The American buffalo herds, upon which Native Americans depended, were another great casualty of the transcontinental railroad. The animals became as much a resource to be taken from the plains as any mineral wealth.
Those responsible for building the first transcontinental railroad should receive a round of applause for the enormous and unprecedented task they completed. On the other hand, they made a huge amount of money � legitimate or otherwise � and changed the way of life for people, especially the Native Americans, forever.
Its completion in spring of 1869 was celebrated as a wonder of engineering and an important new link between people and places in the east with those in the far west. It ranks with the completion of the Panama Canal, the development of the atom and landing the first men on the moon as one of the greatest technological achievements in U.S. history.
This is the story of how and why they did it.
** CONTENTS:
Introduction
The Players
Early Plans For A Pacific Railroad
Congress Becomes Involved
The Central Pacific
The Central Pacific Heads East
The Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Heads West
Labor On The Line
Raids And Uprisings
Completion Of The Line
How The Road Changed America
Conclusion
1119321868
It was originally called the Pacific Railroad and later the Overland Route but we know it better today as the first transcontinental railroad. It was perhaps the most important single event that brought the railroad to the forefront of a growing United States.
If it didn�t actually happen, the building of the first transcontinental railroad might instead have been a great novel of power, greed, politics, corruption and intrigue. The project had them all and more.
The first spikes for the railroad were driven in 1863 during a time in which the United States was involved in its horrific Civil War. Two railroad companies competed � often bitterly � to lay as much track as possible and receive as much federal land and funding as possible. Speed and shortcuts quickly replaced quality control. The Central Pacific built east from Sacramento, California, and the Union Pacific built west from Omaha, Nebraska.
Construction of the railroad opened the door for financial fraud, corruption, graft and bribery. The greatest financial scandal of the 1800s started with the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
The First Transcontinental Railroad Story is just that � the story of those who built the transcontinental railroad from the small town investors who eventually became among the richest in the country to the local and national politicians who understood its importance.
It�s also about the engineers and surveyors as well as the thousands of nameless Irish and Chinese laborers who did the backbreaking and dangerous work on the tracks and in the mountains.
But the benefits and advantages of this first railroad didn�t extend to everyone and The First Transcontinental Railroad Story is about their story as well.
It didn�t start the skirmishes that sometimes turned into savage, often deadly, battles between white settlers and Native Americans, but the transcontinental railroad certainly made it worse.
The First Transcontinental Railroad Story covers the uprisings and wars between the Native Americans and the U.S. Army and other forces. The names of the battles such as Sand Creek, Julesburg, Tongue River, Bozeman Trail and others are all sad chapters in American history.
The American buffalo herds, upon which Native Americans depended, were another great casualty of the transcontinental railroad. The animals became as much a resource to be taken from the plains as any mineral wealth.
Those responsible for building the first transcontinental railroad should receive a round of applause for the enormous and unprecedented task they completed. On the other hand, they made a huge amount of money � legitimate or otherwise � and changed the way of life for people, especially the Native Americans, forever.
Its completion in spring of 1869 was celebrated as a wonder of engineering and an important new link between people and places in the east with those in the far west. It ranks with the completion of the Panama Canal, the development of the atom and landing the first men on the moon as one of the greatest technological achievements in U.S. history.
This is the story of how and why they did it.
** CONTENTS:
Introduction
The Players
Early Plans For A Pacific Railroad
Congress Becomes Involved
The Central Pacific
The Central Pacific Heads East
The Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Heads West
Labor On The Line
Raids And Uprisings
Completion Of The Line
How The Road Changed America
Conclusion
The First Transcontinental Railroad Story
When two events finally finished in the 1860s in the United States, few doubted that the country would ever be the same again. One event was the U.S. Civil War and the second was the first transcontinental railroad, which was soon followed by four more transcontinental railroads.
It was originally called the Pacific Railroad and later the Overland Route but we know it better today as the first transcontinental railroad. It was perhaps the most important single event that brought the railroad to the forefront of a growing United States.
If it didn�t actually happen, the building of the first transcontinental railroad might instead have been a great novel of power, greed, politics, corruption and intrigue. The project had them all and more.
The first spikes for the railroad were driven in 1863 during a time in which the United States was involved in its horrific Civil War. Two railroad companies competed � often bitterly � to lay as much track as possible and receive as much federal land and funding as possible. Speed and shortcuts quickly replaced quality control. The Central Pacific built east from Sacramento, California, and the Union Pacific built west from Omaha, Nebraska.
Construction of the railroad opened the door for financial fraud, corruption, graft and bribery. The greatest financial scandal of the 1800s started with the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
The First Transcontinental Railroad Story is just that � the story of those who built the transcontinental railroad from the small town investors who eventually became among the richest in the country to the local and national politicians who understood its importance.
It�s also about the engineers and surveyors as well as the thousands of nameless Irish and Chinese laborers who did the backbreaking and dangerous work on the tracks and in the mountains.
But the benefits and advantages of this first railroad didn�t extend to everyone and The First Transcontinental Railroad Story is about their story as well.
It didn�t start the skirmishes that sometimes turned into savage, often deadly, battles between white settlers and Native Americans, but the transcontinental railroad certainly made it worse.
The First Transcontinental Railroad Story covers the uprisings and wars between the Native Americans and the U.S. Army and other forces. The names of the battles such as Sand Creek, Julesburg, Tongue River, Bozeman Trail and others are all sad chapters in American history.
The American buffalo herds, upon which Native Americans depended, were another great casualty of the transcontinental railroad. The animals became as much a resource to be taken from the plains as any mineral wealth.
Those responsible for building the first transcontinental railroad should receive a round of applause for the enormous and unprecedented task they completed. On the other hand, they made a huge amount of money � legitimate or otherwise � and changed the way of life for people, especially the Native Americans, forever.
Its completion in spring of 1869 was celebrated as a wonder of engineering and an important new link between people and places in the east with those in the far west. It ranks with the completion of the Panama Canal, the development of the atom and landing the first men on the moon as one of the greatest technological achievements in U.S. history.
This is the story of how and why they did it.
** CONTENTS:
Introduction
The Players
Early Plans For A Pacific Railroad
Congress Becomes Involved
The Central Pacific
The Central Pacific Heads East
The Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Heads West
Labor On The Line
Raids And Uprisings
Completion Of The Line
How The Road Changed America
Conclusion
It was originally called the Pacific Railroad and later the Overland Route but we know it better today as the first transcontinental railroad. It was perhaps the most important single event that brought the railroad to the forefront of a growing United States.
If it didn�t actually happen, the building of the first transcontinental railroad might instead have been a great novel of power, greed, politics, corruption and intrigue. The project had them all and more.
The first spikes for the railroad were driven in 1863 during a time in which the United States was involved in its horrific Civil War. Two railroad companies competed � often bitterly � to lay as much track as possible and receive as much federal land and funding as possible. Speed and shortcuts quickly replaced quality control. The Central Pacific built east from Sacramento, California, and the Union Pacific built west from Omaha, Nebraska.
Construction of the railroad opened the door for financial fraud, corruption, graft and bribery. The greatest financial scandal of the 1800s started with the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
The First Transcontinental Railroad Story is just that � the story of those who built the transcontinental railroad from the small town investors who eventually became among the richest in the country to the local and national politicians who understood its importance.
It�s also about the engineers and surveyors as well as the thousands of nameless Irish and Chinese laborers who did the backbreaking and dangerous work on the tracks and in the mountains.
But the benefits and advantages of this first railroad didn�t extend to everyone and The First Transcontinental Railroad Story is about their story as well.
It didn�t start the skirmishes that sometimes turned into savage, often deadly, battles between white settlers and Native Americans, but the transcontinental railroad certainly made it worse.
The First Transcontinental Railroad Story covers the uprisings and wars between the Native Americans and the U.S. Army and other forces. The names of the battles such as Sand Creek, Julesburg, Tongue River, Bozeman Trail and others are all sad chapters in American history.
The American buffalo herds, upon which Native Americans depended, were another great casualty of the transcontinental railroad. The animals became as much a resource to be taken from the plains as any mineral wealth.
Those responsible for building the first transcontinental railroad should receive a round of applause for the enormous and unprecedented task they completed. On the other hand, they made a huge amount of money � legitimate or otherwise � and changed the way of life for people, especially the Native Americans, forever.
Its completion in spring of 1869 was celebrated as a wonder of engineering and an important new link between people and places in the east with those in the far west. It ranks with the completion of the Panama Canal, the development of the atom and landing the first men on the moon as one of the greatest technological achievements in U.S. history.
This is the story of how and why they did it.
** CONTENTS:
Introduction
The Players
Early Plans For A Pacific Railroad
Congress Becomes Involved
The Central Pacific
The Central Pacific Heads East
The Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Heads West
Labor On The Line
Raids And Uprisings
Completion Of The Line
How The Road Changed America
Conclusion
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The First Transcontinental Railroad Story
The First Transcontinental Railroad Story
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940149288731 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Scott Slaughter |
| Publication date: | 04/24/2014 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 2 MB |
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