Transcontinental Railroad By Jake Hoover

Table of Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4   

Chapter One

Have you ever heard of the Louisiana Purchase?In 1803 the Louisiana Territory was owned by Napoleon Bonaparte.

The Louisiana Territory was bought in 1803.The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the U.S. Jefferson Purchased the territory for $15 million. Lewis and Clark went on there expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory along with the plants,animals and a water route to the pacific ocean.Lewis and Clark met several Native Americans and traded to make peace.Lewis and Clark asked French tradery Charbonneau and his Native American wife Sacagawea to help them Through their Expedition. People started to move west by following Native American trails.The

California trail branched off the Oregon trail. Some people went on it for gold.Everyone traveled in Conestoga wagons pulled by oxen.They left in spring so the weather would suit their travel.Over 300,000 people went on the oregon trail.

Chapter 2 In Sacramento California 1859

engineer Theodore Judah railed support for the idea to build the transcontinental railroad. In November 1863 the first locomotive to start the building of the railroad. After more than a year,only 30 miles of track had been laid. The transcontinental railroad was finished in 1869.

Chapter 3 The majority of the workers on the Pacific Railroad were Irish ,many who had served in the Union and the Confederate armies. In Utah a lot of the track was built by mormon workers. most of the Central Pacific Railroad was built by chinese immigrants. The railroad was one of the greatest accomplishments of the 19th century.

Chapter 4 The Transcontinental Railroad changed the country's economy. Businesses products to people hundreds of miles away. New towns and factories began to appear along the railroad routes. The transcontinental railroad was the the key in joining all the United States together as one country.