The Transcontinental Railroad

The examination and the research on the Transcontinental Railroad has led many to the realization of the significance of the Railroad in American history whether it be positive or negative. The Great Railroad was created between the years of 1863 to 1869. It all had begun with a charter granted to the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroad Companies through the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862. In the seven years, the two companies raced toward the meeting point in Promontory, Utah; one starting from Sacramento, California and the other from Omaha Nebraska. This massive system became the symbol of that time period, being the biggest construction project of that time. Along the way, many buffaloes were killed by hired hunters because, the
herds of these animals were an obstruction to the construction. This sudden decrease in buffaloes had deeply weakened the Indians. Despite the controversy that the Railroad ultimately marked the end of Indian sovereignty in America, the railroad had given America the opportunity to flourish because of its international relations, the changes to American social life, and the economic gains caused by the production boom.
The Transcontinental Railroad had invited many changes to America especially to international relations. The construction of the Railroad especially influenced America’s relationship with China. Because the Chinese were willing to work with low wages, they had become one of the key labor forces in the Central Pacific Railroad Company. At one point, Chinese labor increased to as many as 10,000 to 15,000, representing 90% of the workforce (Chang). To encourage more immigration from China, the American government negotiated a treaty what is now called the Burlingame Treaty with the nation. (Brinkley) The treaty gave China most-favored-nation status for immigration, trade, and travel, allowing unlimited influx of Chinese immigration. Thus, trade between China and America became more frequent and abundant and Chinese immigrants drastically increased (Linda Hall Library Staff). After coming to America, most of the Chinese moved to urban cities (Brinkley). Such cities became known as Chinatowns and San Francisco contained one of the largest of them in America. The establishment of these towns become one of the key factors to the American identity of the “land of the immigrants”, shaping the nation to become more involved with China. However, the Chinese were not the only race that immigrated to America because of the railroad. Many people from neighboring countries to nations overseas rushed to America for the opportunities that it promised. Canadians traveled down as Mexicans went north to homestead. Europeans such as the Germans, Irish, and the Scandinavians settled in enclaves, in search of economic opportunities in the West (AP Study Notes). For the Germans, it was especially true. They moved westward between 1860 and 1890 as 60% of German immigrants moved to rural areas of the west such as Ohio and Wisconsin to set up their farms (US History in Context). The great opportunity given by the railroad motivated many people around the world to inhabit America especially in the vast land in the West. Due to the fact that the railroad allowed the inhabitation of the great West, there were more opportunities for immigrants to start their lives over and live a better life. Thus, America became the melting pot of different societies from different nations. The construction of the Railroad had not only impacted our nation intercontinentally, but had also innovated our domestic affairs as well.
America’s social life had changed due to the Transcontinental Railroad, making it easier for the settlers to settle down in West farther than they have ever ventured out before. One of the main reasons for the migration to the West was the low cost. The settlers that wanted to move West usually came across an obstacle called expense. For the movers to journey to the frontier, they had to pay a handsome amount of approximately 1000 dollars in contemporary currency. However with the new transportation system, the cost was reduced to only 150 dollars, a nearly 15% decrease (Endsley). The Transcontinental Railroad not only reduced the cost, but had also reduced the time it took for Americans to reach their destination. The time it took for the people to move from one end to another shrunk as the Transcontinental Railroad allowed fast transportation. William Tecumseh Sherman recalls in his letter to Stanley Matthews (1883) how quick the journey to one end to the other became, “I have again and again traversed the continent in a six and one half day journey in absolute comfort accomplishing what in 1846 took us 198 days buffeting with wind and wars around Cape Horn,” (Sherman). In addition to low cost and fast transportation, traveling became comfortable. With the Transcontinental Railroad, the rocky and usually unpleasant travel by stagecoaches and wagons were replaced. Mark Twain recollects his unpleasant ride in the stagecoach as it tossed and turned the passengers inside. “First we would all be down in a pile at the forward end of the stage, nearly in a sitting posture, and in a second we would shoot to the other end, and stand on our heads,” (California State University). In contrast, transportation by the railroad was relatively smooth and pleasant as the passengers were able to enjoy luxuries of the dining cars and sleeping cars (Endsley). Because the Railroad solved much of the problems of high cost, lengthy time, and discomfort with the previous choices of transportation, many Americans were motivated to move West. Freed slaves in the Old South was now able to move west to search for opportunity and escape the racial discrimination of the South (AP Study Notes). Many poor whites and European immigrants could now seek for opportunities in the West. Thus, profit made through the Transcontinental Railroad was immense and through that, the Big Four became extremely wealthy. The Big Four was a title given to the main four railroad tycoons who founded the Central Pacific Railroad: Leland Stanford, Collis Potter Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker. Stanford and Huntington became one of the leading philanthropists in California with the money acquired through the railroad. Stanford and his wife Jane Stanford founded Stanford University in 1885 and Huntington founded the famous Huntington Library in San Mateo, California. Other prosperous families became known as the “movers and the shakers” because of their huge impact on the Wild West. They were the ones who constructed towns, sawmills, open ranches, and stockyards, stimulating business in parts of America that, before, thought to be impossible to inhabit (Hewey). The Transcontinental Railroad not only had impacted the people’s social life, but had also contributed to the change in the American’s consumer life.
Near the end of the 19th century, Transcontinental Railroad stimulating the economy with the sudden increase of production.
Agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits, and livestock were produced in high numbers. Settlers of the West grew grains, fruits, and vegetables which would be shipped out through the railroad to be carried to distant cities in the East. In addition, with the invention of refrigerated cars in the 1880s, the freshness of perishable food was guaranteed (AP Study Notes). With larger and diverse areas now available for plantations, agriculture flourished. The Railroad was already shipping 50 million dollars worth of freight each year within ten years of the railroad’s completion. Because of the expansion to new territories, the Americans grew accustomed to the varying climate and environment of the different region, introducing new agricultural strategies of growing crops where it is best suited. Thus, the diet of the Americans became more colorful and various (Schwantes). Along with the crops, meat production increased as well. With the help of the Transcontinental Railroad, Texas longhorn cattles were able to be shipped to the East, meeting the demands of beef. By 1871, more than 700,000 cattles were transported over to the East (Gale Encyclopedia). Considering that one cattle was priced at around 40 dollars, cattle business had soaring profit (Gale Encyclopedia). This sudden success of the business was due to the increase in demand for beef After
the Civil War, there was a great depletion of cattle herds in the East, along with the shift of national preference of beef from pork (Gale Encyclopedia). The network of rails across the United States stimulated the consumer culture as shipment from coast to coast became simple, causing the increased speeding of making goods encouraging America’s economy to rise (Endsley). As agriculture grew in the urban areas of the West, industry increased as well in the rural areas of the North. Industries of all kind prospered with the railroad. The logging, iron, steel, and coal industry, for an example, grew phenomenally. These raw materials were high in demand as the railroad became the material’s market. Because of the sudden explosion of immigrants to the West, the settlers needed abundance of wood and such to create bridges, stations, fences, and fuel (White). Before the construction, many industries were minor. Without any fast, easy, and efficient way to transport the goods, manufacturing was slow. However, as the railroad technology increased, many of the products used for the construction were in high demand, some being coal and steel. The construction of the Railroad, generally, created a chain reaction on awakening industries one after the other, increasing production of new consumer goods and stimulated the American economy.
The Transcontinental Railroad had a positive impact on America because it caused the nation to interact with other nations, and changed American social life and boosted the economy.
Although the original tracks from the Transcontinental Railroad had dissolved throughout the years, with only small portion of it still used today, it had changed our lives for the good. It contributed to the innovation of international affairs and most importantly the lives of the Americans. The impact of it is not just observed in the past, but also in the development of the contemporary society as it still has a crucial part in our transportation industry as well as our economic and social
lives.