How the Transcontinental Railroad Affected the Lives of Americans

Uniting America while Destroying the Lives of the Plains Indians: How the Transcontinental Railroad affected the Lives of Americans through Triumph and Tragedy David Ackles Junior Division Historical Paper Paper Length: 2,420 words On May 10, 1869, Leland Stanford stood before thousands, with the satisfying clank ringing out through the large crowd. The sound was mixed with a roar of applause at this epochal moment. A 17.6 - karate gold spike was driven into the last rail of the great Transcontinental Railroad, at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The meeting of the Union Pacific And The Central Pacific Railroad Companies signified the hard-earned and long-awaited union of the East and West by railway. It also ended life in the western plains that the Native Americans living there once knew. The Transcontinental Railroad was a huge triumph, but it led to tragedy for the Plains Indians. During the Civil War, America became interested in a connection from the East to the West. In the midst of the war, people were depressed from the horrors of a divided nation fighting against itself and insistent on finding a way to reunite America again. President Abraham Lincoln was still in office and earnestly looking for ways to change the country's course to create a much-needed unity. Lincoln had a vision of building a railroad even before the Civil War started, in part because of his experience as a railroad lawyer in Illinois in his younger years. Lincoln’s vision coincided with another man’s vision. Theodore Judah was a young engineer from California who pushed the idea forward and took up the great challenge of the Transcontinental Railroad. Judah went to Congress to convince America’s leaders that this idea was essential. In his words, Judah described the potential railroad, “ the most magnificent project ever conceived” (Caravantes). His ideas were very interesting and Congress was willing to listen. He believed that the government should pay for the building of the railroad. When Congress turned him down, he stated, “ It is going to be built and I am going to have something to do with it” (Caravantes). Because of Judah's determination, Congress finally approved the Pacific Railroad Act which, Abraham Lincoln signed on July 1, 1862. This launched the building of the railroad. President Abraham Lincoln granted two companies, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroad Companies, the opportunity to build this railroad across the country (Caravantes). Prior to the Civil War, in 1850, Congress commissioned surveys to be done in the West and the 32nd parallel was chosen as the ideal route for the building of the railroad (Congress and the American West: The Transcontinental Railroad, National Archives). This railroad would end up to be 1,776 miles long, while going over the vast and tall Sierra Nevada Mountain range, and across huge, flat plains swarming with bison and Native Americans. Lincoln’s mindset in these times was not so much on people striking it rich from the profits of the railroad, but for the opportunity to solidify America’s future. The plan was if the Civil War continued, the railroad would provide supplies to towns and military camps on the frontlines further in the West. Soon after the signing of the Pacific Railroad Act, the Central Pacific Railroad company broke ground in Sacramento, California on January 8, 1863. About a year after, the Union Pacific Railroad Company broke ground in Omaha, Nebraska, in December, 1863. Most of the building was delayed for two years until the end of the Civil War in 1865. In addition, many men were off at war, leading to fewer people to work for the railroad companies. Also, factories that would supply materials to the railroad companies were engaged with producing items needed for the Civil War. Prior to breaking ground, railroad officials gathered to plan and discuss the challenges that would lie ahead in building the railroad. They discussed problems that would come from building in the rugged terrain of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Also, they discussed how to engineer sturdy bridges that would pass over deep crevices, how to hire workers, and workers’ housing and compensation. One critically important problem was fully ignored, “The one thing they did not discuss was Native Americans. No one talked about what a railroad would do to the Cheyenne and Sioux tribes that lived on the plains. Their lives depended on huge herds of bison. A railroad would prevent the animals from freely roaming the plains. The Native Americans’ life would be destroyed” (Edward). Even Congress did not give merit to this extremely important issue. At this time in California, the Gold Rush attracted many men seeking riches to provide for their families and to become wealthy in the newly formed state. People seeking this gold came from all over the world to be a part of this event, these gold-seekers were called 49ers. Lots of people traveled West in 1849 because of the Gold Rush in California, these citizens from the Eastern states and many European immigrants experienced terrible conditions as they traveled for six months by wagon to have a tiny chance to create a fortune by finding gold. At this time, over 20,000 Chinese immigrants also traveled to California to take part in the Gold Rush. The flood of Chinese workers, the Gold Rush and the people it drew, undoubtedly helped out the building process of the railroad, because these were groups of people that were looking for jobs. Most of the people who went to the West looking for gold never found any. The Central Pacific Railroad Company hired workers quickly from the Chinese immigrant population and the disillusioned and unsuccessful 49ers. They were offered good pay, to build the track. During the 1800s, steam engines were dominating the production industry throughout America. They were used to quicken the production of resources and daily items. The machines were powered by coal and could do more work and faster work than twenty men. Also, steam engines provided dependable power, while water powering could not be depended on as much. Some of these engines were used to pump water out of mines and also transport the minerals out of them. This was a safer and more efficient way to be even more profitable. In the time of the Civil War, steam engines were used for pulling people in large quantities. Some trains were used to supply guns and ammunition to troops on the frontlines in the East. Throughout the 1800s, steam engines were becoming less bulky and more efficient. With these advancements, trains supported large profits for companies. Building the tracks, building trains, providing materials and transporting passengers, were other ways to create profit in the railroad business. Before the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, it cost nearly $1,000 dollars to travel across the country to the West, some even traveled by ship through the Panama Canal. Once men went west, there was no efficient way to contact their families; news would reach its destination after half a year of it happening. The country was ready for the Transcontinental Railroad project. Many Chinese, Irish and German immigrants came over during the Gold Rush to California in 1849, so the Central Pacific Railroad Company easily hired these men as workers. While the Union Pacific Railroad Company in the East was hiring thousands of Civil War veterans who were poor and looking for work while trying to get away from the scenes of horror they witnessed. The leaders of the railroad companies thought about hiring the Chinese from the start of the building process because of their experience building the Great Wall of China. Building the railroads was an extremely difficult and dangerous job. The conditions for the workers were extremely poor, but the Chinese did stay healthier than the majority of the American workers who were paid more. One way the Chinese stayed healthy was by boiling any water before drinking and in doing this, they killed all the bacteria or insects in the water. Water was the main reason for sickness and death in the work camps. Also, the Chinese workers formed groups, and each group had a cook and the cook’s assistant. The cook made nutritious meals with whatever they had, and by using plants that grew around the camp to boil into tea, the cook’s assistant would bring the food and tea to the hard-working men in the group. The immigrant workers did the heavy lifting and dangerous tasks involved in building the railroad, such as lifting the heavy iron poles or blowing tunnels into the sides on the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The main reason for deaths for the immigrant workers were misjudging an explosion, rather than from sickness like most of the American workers. Many foreign workers came to America to be paid to build the railroad while bringing different knowledge and techniques that continued to advance the building process. The techniques used by the railroad companies to build the railroad were mostly thought up by their expert engineers. A big problem for the Central Pacific Railroad Company was the vast Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The young engineer, Theodore Judah, thought of a way to cut through these mountains by following a natural crevice in Northern California. Many explosives were used to break away rock wide enough for the track to be built and a train to pass through. This was a huge engineering feat. One of the most highly paid jobs in the Central Pacific Railroad Company was the explosives scientist, with a makeshift lab on site, this person was always thinking of a new way to create more powerful explosives.

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