Transcontinental Railroad 5 Ws and H
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The Transcontinental Railroad
By Liane Hicks
The first Transcontinental Railroad in the United States was a feat of ingenuity and engineering. It opened up the way for new cities, industries, and opportunities for immigrants and settlers. However, it also led to the decimation of Native American nations and the environment as well as a racist backlash against immigrants. Engage students with Storyboard That premade activities!
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Storyboard Description
Answer the questions for: "who, what, when, where, why, and how" regarding the first Transcontinental Railroad in the United States.
Storyboard Text
- HOW did it impact the U.S.?
- WHAT was the Transcontinental Railroad?
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- WHEN was it built?
- 1863-1869
- 1863-1869
- The railroad allowed the U.S. to grow exponentially. Settlers moved west, major cities and booming industries were built. However, it went through Native American lands, decimating many First Nations. Also, there was a racist backlash to the influx of immigrants who built the railroads. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prohibited immigration from China despite the crucial role Chinese people played in the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
- The first Transcontinental Railroad refers to the first time enough railroad tracks were laid to connect the United States by rail travel from east to west. This allowed people, mail, and goods to travel vast distances across the country much faster than before.
- Construction of the railroad tracks that would link Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California lasted from 1863-1869. On October 26, 1863 the Central Pacific RR began construction in Sacramento. On December 2, 1863 the Union Pacific RR began in Omaha. On May 10, 1869 the final "golden spike" was driven in Utah linking the two tracks.
- WHY was it built?
- "There is nothing more important before the nation than the building of the railroad to the Pacific."
- 5 Ws & H of the Transcontinental Railroad
- WHO was involved?
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- WHERE was it built?
- Railroads were built so transportation and shipment of people and goods over land would move faster. Many believed it was "manifest destiny" for the U.S. to occupy the land coast to coast. In 1862 President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act creating two railroad companies to compete in completing a transcontinental railroad.
- Thousands of workers, mainly Chinese and Irish immigrants, German immigrants, former Union and Confederate soldiers and formerly enslaved African Americans built the railroads. The two main companies were the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad. Both made their owners and stockholders huge sums of money.
- The Central Pacific Railroad
- The Union Pacific Railroad
- The Central Pacific Railroad began laying its track in Sacramento, CA and built eastward. The Union Pacific Railroad Company began work from Omaha Nebraska and went westward. They met in Promontory Point, Utah.
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