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Canals & Railroads
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Why was the transcontinental railroad so important to build
http://my.ilstu.edu/~jabraun/students/geiseman/facts.htmDuring the 1800’s, many people traveled by horse and buggy making travel long, hard and often dangerous. There were many railroads during this time, however there was not a railway that connected the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. Once the railroad was built, travel became quicker and less dangerous. Travel that might take a family six months would now take them six days. The transcontinental railroad would unite the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads. -
The Erie Canal
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/ohioeriecanal/transportation.htmThe Erie Canal is famous in song and story. Proposed in 1808 and completed in 1825, the canal links the waters of Lake Erie in the west to the Hudson River in the east. An engineering marvel when it was built, some called it the Eighth Wonder of the World. In order to open the country west of the Appalachian Mountains to settlers and to offer a cheap and safe way to carry produce to a market, the construction of a canal was proposed as early as 1768. However, those early proposals would connec -
When the Canal was made
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/ohioeriecanal/transportation.htmIn the US, it was the Cayuga-Seneca Canal (1818)
followed by the Erie Canal (1825).
In Canada, it was the Lachine (1825)
followed by the Welland Canal (1829
and then the Rideau (1832) and Trent-Severn Canal (1930). -
When Canal was constructed.
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/ohioeriecanal/transportation.htmWhen the Canal was constructed from Cleveland to Akron (1825-27), local roads led to this regional transportation link. Canals were the interstate highways of their time and created a transportation revolution in the early 19th century. The regional canals built in the early 19th century developed into an interconnected national network of waterways. Canals of the northeast and Midwest states linked the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.Ground was broken for the Ohio and Erie Canal on July 4, -
When was the Erie and Ohio canal connected?
http://my.ilstu.edu/~jabraun/students/geiseman/facts.htm By 1832, the 309 miles of the Ohio and Erie Canal linked Lake Erie with the Ohio River and became a major catalyst for Ohio's economic growth. The canal opened the resource rich hinterlands of the young state and greatly spurred settlement and development in the area. -
When did the building of the railroad start?
http://my.ilstu.edu/~jabraun/students/geiseman/facts.htmTrack for the railroad started to be laid in 1863 in Omaha. The railroad was off to a slow start because of a lack of money and the Civil War was in progress. The building of the railroad did not start to flourish until 1866. Congress could not decide on the route of the railroad because of slavery. Northerners wanted a different route than the southerners because of slavery. The west was new to the United States and slavery was not in the west. Congress could not decide if slavery should -
Who were the majority of the railroad workers?
Work on the railroad was progressing until silver was discovered in Nevada in 1865. A lot of the white workers left the railroad to search for silver. In 1865 Charles Crocker set out to find a new work force. Charles Crocker started to hire Chinese immigrants to work for the railroad. By May 10, 1869 over 11,000 railroad workers were Chinese -
When did travel on the new railroad begin?
http://my.ilstu.edu/~jabraun/students/geiseman/facts.htmTravel on the new railroad began five days after it’s completion. There were two separate fares, one for immigrants and one for first class. The first route taken was from Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California. -
The first mainline
http://my.ilstu.edu/~jabraun/students/geiseman/facts.htmThe first mainline electrification was in Baltimore, MD. A rigid overhead conductor supplied 675 VDC via one-sided tilted pantograph to the 96 ton 4-axle, 4-motor locomotives. These were very successful, hauling 1,800 ton trains up the 0.8% grade in the 1.25 mile Howard Street tunnel, where steam was not allowed to operate. -
"Big Four"
http://my.ilstu.edu/~jabraun/students/geiseman/facts.htmThe “big four” are Leland Stanford, Collis P. Huntington, Charles Crocker and Mark Hopkins. Leland Stanford has been given a lot of credit for starting to build the railroad. A corporation named the Central Pacific Railroad Co., became organized by Theodore Judah with Leland Stanford as president, C.P. Huntington as vice-president, and Mark Hopkins as treasurer and Charles Crocker was a leader in the working process.
