Rail Tycoons
Which railroad tycoon started his career as a teenager running a ferry business?
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Who was the young engineer who convinced President Abraham Lincoln to sign the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862?
Theodore Judah
Why did the Central Pacific Railroad begin recruiting Chinese immigrants in 1864?
The company needed more workers because there were few available laborers in the new state
Which three Plains tribes had their traditional hunting grounds crossed by the transcontinental railroad?
Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho
What is the name of the ceremonial final spike that joined the rails?
The Golden Spike
By the 1880s, how much railroad track did Jay Gould control?
Over 12,000 miles
Which railroad company had to lay track through the Sierra Nevada mountains?
The Central Pacific Railroad Company
What percentage of the Central Pacific's workforce was made up of Chinese immigrants by the time the transcontinental railroad was complete?
About 90 percent
Approximately how many bison roamed the Plains during the time workers were building the railroad?
60 million
Did the Central Pacific or Union Pacific company lay more track?
Union Pacific
What significant event occurred in 1869?
The transcontinental railroad was completed
What incentive did the government offer to railroad companies for each mile of track built?
6,400 acres of land and $48,000 in government bonds
How were Chinese workers treated differently from white laborers on the Central Pacific?
They were paid the same but had to feed and house themselves
What was the main reason railroad companies decided to create "hunt by rail" trips?
Because bison were damaging train tracks and blocking trains
How long did it take to complete the railroad?
6-7 Years
Which railroad tycoon developed the Florida East Coast Railroad that eventually reached Key West?
Henry Flagler
In one remarkable day, the Central Pacific laid 16 kilometers (10 miles) of track. What special incentive were the workers promised?
Four days' pay for one day of work
What dangerous method was used by Chinese workers to blast through hard rock in the Sierra Nevada mountains?
They were lowered down the mountain in a basket to drill holes, insert explosives, and light them
By what year had fewer than 500 bison remained on the Great Plains?
1884
How did the Transcontinental Railroad impact travel time across the country?
It reduced it from months to weeks
In what year did railroad construction reach its all-time peak with 13,640 miles of new railway lines completed?
1887
How much did the transcontinental railroad reduce the cost of cross-country travel from New York to San Francisco?
From $1,000 to $150
In what year did Congress pass the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned new Chinese workers from entering the United States?
1882
What did Native American leaders agree to in exchange for receiving land and food from the U.S. government?
To sign treaties and move to reservations
Where and when did the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad connect to complete the transcontinental railroad?
May 10, 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah