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Discussion Questions On The Transcontinental Railroad

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Leah Kurland 5/7/18 US-1/CPE Transcontinental Railroad Focus / Comprehension Questions (14 pts) Directions: Read the handout , watch the video clip and answer the following questions in complete sentences, including a proper topic sentence. Post your responses to the Schoology drop box provided. Video Notes: - Great plains → vast; untouched - Takes 6 months to cross - Lincoln signs transcontinental railroad into effect; 2,000 miles long - The Union Pacific starts from Omaha - Central Pacific starts in Sacramento - They meet in Utah; promontory point - Government doesn’t have enough money; pay companies in federal land - Must dig through the mountain; use Chinese laborers for the most deadly jobs - Use an explosive to demolish …show more content…

Discuss President Abraham Lincoln’s involvement in the transcontinental railroad. President Abraham Lincoln became involved in the transcontinental railroad when he signed the Pacific Railroad Act in 1862. “Lines from Chicago would be extended out to Omaha, Nebraska.” ( 3. Explain how the railroad was funded. The railroad was funded by government loans and the companies were paid in federal land, since the government did not have enough money. 4. What groups provided labor for the railroad’s construction? Describe the role of Chinese workers in its construction. The Chinese provided a majority of the railroad’s construction. Their role was to blast the rocks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in order to create a path for the railroads. 5. Explain why Native Americans were angered by the transcontinental railroad. Native Americans were angered by the transcontinental railroad because they were there before the whites arrived. Once built, the railroad would be trespassing across their main hunting spots. 6. Identify the place where the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads met. The Union Pacific and Central Pacific met at Promontory Summit to finish the final part of the track. The Union Pacific started in Omaha, Nebraska and Central Pacific started in Sacramento,

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