American west transcontinental railroad Flashcards
Who began the railroad and where did it begin
Four shop keepers where the first people to begin the transcontinental railroad and they began it in Sacramento
What was the first major problem with the transcontinental railroad
All the resources such as steal track and locomotives this meant they had to be sent via ship and these where often either stolen from or got destroyed and each shipment took may months
What was the second Problem they faced
They had to go through the sierra Nevada as well as up the sierra Nevada.
What was the two solutions to the Problems with the sierra Nevada
Theodore Judah who previously built Railroads in mountainous areas and James Harvey and gunpowder
What happened to lead to a lack of workers for the railroad
The gold rush
What was the solution to the lack of workers
Chinese immigrants who where cheaper than the previous workers and worked quicker
What was a major problem with the workers and the solution
Alcohol,girlfriends and gambling and they brought in the Cossack how controlled all the men using force and fear
What was the solution to gunpowder not being strong enough
Use of nitro-glycerin to create tunnels through the sierra Nevada
Sioux and Cheyenne tribes didn’t like the construction of the railroads and would often destroy track and attack workers what was the solution to this
Use of the american cavalry to attack
Gave workers guns to defend themselves
Name one problem the weather caused
Avalanches destroyed track
Name a solution to the snow in the winter
Workers built wooden roofs over the track therefore preventing them from being covered
What was a solution to the fact they had to build over chasms in the sierra Nevada
Trestle bridges
Chinese men went on strike whilst tunneling through the mountains
This lead the men being starved and not being payed until they began working again
Name one example of corruption in the building the railroad
Thomas Durant was charging the government double for each mile of track therefore allowing him to keep the extra money
what date was the transcontinental railroad finished
May 10th 1869
