5.2: The Age of the Railroads

The growth and consolidation of the RR influence expansion of

industry

A. Pacific Rail Road Act 18621. Gave Union Pacific and Central Pacific

loans and land grants to continue extending tracks = Transcontinental RR

2. for each mile laid 10 sq. mi.

B. RR: Spanning Time and Space1. Realities of RR

2. Hazardous work

C. Workers of the RR1. Central Pacific

a. Asian and Mexican

b. Poor working conditions

c. $1 a day!!

                                                           

                                                   

C. Workers of the RR

2. Union Pacific RR

Co.a. Immigrants from

European countries

b. Treated better than their nonwhite counterpart

D. Standardized Time Zones 1918 created by the American Railway Association

E. Last Spike: Promontory Summit, Utah

F. RR Spur Growth: Opportunities

3. Townsa. New towns dev.

Along RR lines

b. Supplied products to passerby

4. Marketsa. Promoted trade

b. Towns specialized in specific products

1. Economy Stimulated: raw materials for RR

2. Consolidation of RR’sa. Cornelius

Vanderbilt

b. NY and Chicago

Transcontinental RR = Interconnectedness?

Summary– How did the RR impact American society?

G. Robber Barons1. Business men who

practiced questionable business practices gaining huge personal wealth

2. Land grants were more profitable than operating RR = ?

H. Credit Mobilier Construction Company

1. Influential stockholders of Union Pacific made contracts with themselves = Credit Mobilier

2. Paid off congressmen

3. Scam from start to finish

4. No one prosecuted