Chapter 9Industrialization

Section 2The Railroads

Linking the Nation

1865-35,000 miles of track (east of Miss. River)

1900-200,000 miles of track◦Pacific Railway Act

Construction of a transcontinental RR Union Pacific RR

◦Grenville Dodge◦From Omaha, Nebraska (blizzards, heat, Native Americans◦ Irish immigrants, veterans, ex-miners/farmers/convicts

Central Pacific RR◦Theodore Judah◦“Big Four”- (Stanford, Crocker, Hopkins, Huntington)◦Chinese immigrants

Railroads Spur Growth

Need to consolidate (link) railroads◦Seven giant systems took over hundreds of

smaller railroads◦Cornelius Vanderbilt

Successful railroad consolidator First direct rail service between NYC & Chicago 1871-NY’s Grand Central terminal

Time Zones created (1880s)

Land Grant System & Robber Barons

Federal government-land grants◦Encourage RR construction◦RR would sell land to raise $ for building RR

Robber Barons◦Accusations against RR entrepreneurs

Cheating investors/contracts/debts, bribing officials Ex: Jay Gould –”insider trading”

◦Credit Mobilier Scandal Union Pacific

The GREAT Northern◦James Hill-NOT a robber baron