Student Questions - National History Day Interview
The theme of our history fair is triumph and tragedy. Just answer as many questions as you can the best you can and then send them back as soon as possible. ...
Here are our questions:
1. What were the economic benefits that came from the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad?
2. What were some engineering successes of the Transcontinental Railroad?
3. Do you know approximately how many Native Americans were killed? or how many survived?
4. Do you think the building of the Transcontinental Railroad was the biggest transportation breakthrough up until this time? of the 19th century?
5. How did the railroads effect trade in the U.S. and internationally?
6. What do you think was the greatest achievement of the Transcontinental Railroad?
7. Do you think the Transcontinental Railroad was more of a triumph or more of a tragedy? or equal parts both?
—Gillian
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 5:34 PM
4 Comments:
From: "Chris Graves" caliron@cwnet.com
#3. How many Native Americans were killed, how many survived.
Wow! Let me preface my response with this nugget: I am close to many, many Native Americans. In fact, I have a Navajo boy named for me – quite an honor.
Now, I for one, don't know of ANY Native Americans "killed" during the construction of the Central Pacific portion of the Pacific railroad. That some died of old age, some of disease, some violently – without a doubt. But, those would have happened, I believe, whether the CPRR built the road or not.
I think that the question is overly broad, the student should perhaps focus on a specific reason for death, and then investigate as to whether or not such an incident occured. In that investigation, the student MUST focus on FIRST PERSON reports, not the writings of 20th century authors, nor the writings of 19th century newspapers with 'an axe to grind,'or 21st century bloggers. The student, I would hope, would also leave his/her preconceived notions of what transpired in California, Nevada and Utah off the table until he/she has personally researched the subject at hand, and discovered for himself/herself the absolute truth of what they are writing about.
I wish you well in your search.
G J Chris Graves, NewCastle, Calif.
From: "Jim Wilke" woodburner@earthlink.net
5. How did the railroads effect trade in the U.S. and internationally?
Hi Gillian,
The transcontinental railroad effected trade by making it possible to move cargoes rapidly and easily across long distances of land. One of the meanings of "effect" is to bring about, or to create. By building a transcontinental railroad, trade could be increased by the speed and ease of shipment.
Before the railroad was built, cargoes were traditionally moved by ships at sea, or by boats on a river. Moving cargoes across land required wagons, with teams of oxen, while passengers moved by stage coaches. All of these had their drawbacks – it took well over one hundred days for a sailing vessel to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific, because it had to sail all the way around the tip of South America. Steamboats could carry cargoes up rivers, but were restricted to where the rivers ran, and at times to the level of the water – on the Upper Missouri River, boats – and their freight, like flour and clothing – could only run during the spring and summer when water was high. Wagons were slow, and stagecoaches were not only slow, but very uncomfortable.
The transcontinental railroad changed all this – now cargoes could move from New York to San Francisco in a few days, and passenger travel was much more comfortable (you could get up and walk around, for example) and fast as well.
Because railroads offered a superior way of moving freight and passengers, their promoters felt that they were creating new opportunities for trade where it had been too difficult before. This turned out to be true, and many towns grew in regions served by railroads.
The transcontinental railroad was also designed to "affect" trade – they is, to change the way trade was conducted – by competing with established trade routes. One important route was from London to China, where profitable cargoes of teas and silks were found. Fast clipper ships like the "Cutty Sark" sailed from London to China by going around the tip of South America and then across the Pacific. The transcontinental railroad was planned to change this, by eliminating the need to sail around South America – instead, ships would sail from China to san Francisco, move the goods to New York by fast train, then onto another ship for London.
However, things did not work out as planned – a canal for ships was built through Egypt, named the Suez Canal, which allowed ships from London to sail towards Egypt, through the canal, and then into the Indian ocean and China. It was a shortcut that allowed the cargo to stay in one ship for the entire trip, and let the ships get to China faster than before – fast enough to forget about the American railroad!
The transcontinental railroad affected trade in another way – before it was built, California was developing its own independent economy, using local manufacturing companies to build what it needed for itself. Everything from boots and shoes to steamboats and farm equipment could be made in California. When the railroad was completed, a sudden rush of inexpensive goods from the Atlantic coast changed the California market and put many local companies out of business. Eventually local and national manufacturers found a balance, but for a time, the railroad was blamed for hard times.
Today, the railroad is working in the way it was originally planned – ships with cargoes from China and the Far East are unloaded at ports along the Pacific Coast, transferred to railroad lines, and moved by rail into and across the country. Ships today are often too large to sail through a canal built through Panama between North and South America, so it's easier and faster (among many other factors) to move by rail.
I hope this helps, and good luck with your project, Gillian
—Jim Wilke
From: "Don Snoddy" ddsnoddy@cox.net
... 1. What were the economic benefits that came from the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad?
The intent of the construction was to unite the eastern United States with California, to gain easier access to the gold it held for help in financing the Civil War. It also allowed the movement of people and goods across the continent rather that having to go around the Cape or across the Isthmus of Nicaragua.
2. What were some engineering successes of the Transcontinental Railroad?
Construction of a railroad 2000 miles long across an almost uncharted and uninhabited area.
3. Do you know approximately how many Native Americans were killed? or how many survived?
Hostilities were limited to the areas east of central Wyoming and west of approximately Grand Island, Nebraska. From the reading I have done I would say very few were killed during the construction period 1865-1867. The treaties of Fort Laramie Wyoming did quite a bit to prevent a lot of hostilities. Disease likely killed more Native Americans. The construction of the railroad aided the US Army by permitting quicker transportation of men and materials, but remember that most of the western United States still had no access to railroads until late in the Indian War period, and that battles were not necessarily fought along the line of the railroad, but in the mountain strongholds.
4. Do you think the building of the Transcontinental Railroad was the biggest transportation breakthrough up until this time? of the 19th century?
Of this there is no doubt. Until the railroads came to be no one ever could travel any faster than a horse could go. Think of that throughout all of history no one traveled any faster or further in one day than a horse was able to take them. When completed in 1869 Union Pacific was the highest and longest railroad in the world.
5. How did the railroads effect trade in the U.S. and internationally?
See #1.
6. What do you think was the greatest achievement of the Transcontinental Railroad?
See #1
7. Do you think the Transcontinental Railroad was more of a triumph or more of a tragedy? or equal parts both?
By far more triumph than tragedy see #1-4
—Don
Students: Also see homework and history day questions.
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