Podcast
Questions and Answers
When was the Transcontinental Railroad completed?
When was the Transcontinental Railroad completed?
Which two companies were granted the opportunity to build the Transcontinental Railroad?
Which two companies were granted the opportunity to build the Transcontinental Railroad?
Which mountain range posed a major challenge for the Central Pacific Railroad during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad?
Which mountain range posed a major challenge for the Central Pacific Railroad during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad?
Which group of laborers did most of the hard work for the Central Pacific Railroad in laying track through the Sierra Nevada mountain range?
Which group of laborers did most of the hard work for the Central Pacific Railroad in laying track through the Sierra Nevada mountain range?
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What significant effect did the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad have on travel time across the United States?
What significant effect did the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad have on travel time across the United States?
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What type of terrain were the Union Pacific Railroad workers progressing quickly on?
What type of terrain were the Union Pacific Railroad workers progressing quickly on?
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What was the major challenge faced by the Central Pacific Railroad during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad?
What was the major challenge faced by the Central Pacific Railroad during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad?
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What milestone was marked by driving the final Golden Spike at Promontory Summit, Utah?
What milestone was marked by driving the final Golden Spike at Promontory Summit, Utah?
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Which group of laborers primarily worked on laying track through the Sierra Nevada mountain range?
Which group of laborers primarily worked on laying track through the Sierra Nevada mountain range?
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What impact did the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad have on travel time across the United States?
What impact did the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad have on travel time across the United States?
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Which event facilitated Westward Expansion and changed the American West forever?
Which event facilitated Westward Expansion and changed the American West forever?
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Who granted Union Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad the opportunity to build the first Transcontinental Railroad?
Who granted Union Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad the opportunity to build the first Transcontinental Railroad?
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Study Notes
- In the 1850s, the fastest way to travel over land in the United States was by train, but there were no railroad lines spanning the entire country.
- President Abraham Lincoln granted two companies, Union Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad, the opportunity to build the first Transcontinental Railroad to unite the country by rail.
- The Central Pacific Railroad faced a major challenge as it had to lay track through the difficult Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, with laborers from Ireland and China doing most of the hard work.
- The Union Pacific Railroad workers in the East were progressing quickly on flat plains but faced conflicts with Native American tribes whose land they were intruding upon.
- The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, by driving the final Golden Spike, marked a significant milestone that reduced a 6-month wagon journey across the country to just 7 days, facilitating Westward Expansion and changing the American West forever.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the history of the first Transcontinental Railroad in the United States, built to unite the country by rail in the 19th century. Explore how Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroad companies overcame challenges to connect the East and West coasts.
