Links to the East
Building the Transcontinental Railroad
Rails Across California
An Agricultural Power
People
100

What is a stagecoach?

A stagecoach is an enclosed wagon pulled by a team of horses.

100

What is a transcontinental railroad?

The transcontinental railroad was a railroad that crossed the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

100

What is a competition?

In business, a competition is a contest between companies to get the most customers or products. 

100

What is an export?

An export is to sell goods to people in other countries.

100

Who was Yee Fung Cheung?

A Chinese immigrant who came California to look for gold, but instead opened an herb shop. He was a skilled herbalist, or person who uses herbs to treat illnesses. 

200

How might faster mail service improve life for Californians?

Faster mail service might improve life for Californians because people could be informed faster.

200

How could a railroad help bring the country together?

A railroad help bring the country together by improving the transportation and trade.

200

Why might people have thought that the railroad would help Sacramento grow? 

People might have thought that the railroad would help Sacramento grow because it could bring more people and goods.

200

How did the gold rush affect agriculture in California?

The gold rush affected agriculture in California because the demand for food grew suddenly and farmers became very wealthy.

200

Who was John Bidwell?

He was a member of the first wagon train to California. He became a successful wheat farmer in the Central Valley

300

What let John Butterfield to form the Overland Mail Company?

The Overland Mail Act led John Butterfield to form the Overland Mail Company.

300

How did the Civil War affect the building of the transcontinental railroad?

The Civil War affect the building of the transcontinental railroad because many people were in the war, so there was not a lot of workers.

300

Why were the Big Four's railroad nicknamed the "Big Octopus"? 

The Big Four's railroad was nicknamed the "Big Octopus" because it stretched in different directions.

300

What was the result of railroad companies raising the price of land for farmers?

a violent disagreement at Mussel Slough

300

Who was Theodore Judah?

An engineer with a plan for building a transcontinental railroad.

400

How was the Pony Express able to get mail to California even faster then by earlier services?

The Pony Express able to get mail to California even faster then by earlier services because the mail never stops.

400

What might the message on the final spike meas?

The message on the final spike means that the railroad united the country.

400

Who were the Big Four?

Leland Stanford, Collis P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker. They invested in the Transcontinental Railroad and owned the Pacific Railroad Company.

400

How did the citrus industry in California develop?


The citrus industry in California developed by moving to Riverside and the warm climate in that area made better fruit than in the coastal areas.

400

Who was Luther Burbank?

A scientist who worked to develop new and better kinds of plants.

500

What lasting effect did Field hope the telegraph would have on the East and the West?

The lasting effect Field hoped the telegraph would have on the East and the West was that it would unite the country.

500

What were the challenges faced by immigrants building the railroad?

They had to work fast under dangerous conditions. They also were not paid a fair wage, especially Chinese workers. 

500

Who provided money for the Transcontinental Railroad to be built?

The Big Four investors and the US government.

500

How did farmers adapt to improve farming in California?

They built canals to irrigate farmland that was too dry. They got oranges from Valencia and Washington so they could grow sweeter oranges year round. They built levees to control flooding.


500

Who was Samuel B Morse?

the inventor of Morse Code