Unit 2 The Physical World Essay
Measurement Topic 1: The World
Learning Target 2: The Physical World
Step 3:
Research the construction of major building project (using the list below) and explain how both the earth’s interior and exterior forces impacted the building project. Place your findings into a 1-2 page informal writing.
The Transcontinental Railroad was one of the great projects of the 1800s, and could be considered as something that remade the American West. Consider the fact that any railroad was, by nature, a form of transportation the was significantly more dependent on geography than anything that had preceded it. It was not tied onto preexisting waterways such as other technology, like the steamboat, and given its overall speed, it could cross almost any terrain with ease - given that its built correctly on the land. As technology improved, railroads developed the capacity to span rivers and gorges, topple hills, and tunnel through various mountains. When terrain couldn’t be surmounted, it was changed.
Breaking those paths and laying the track required tremendous resources. One being the grant of land given to railroad companies by the federal government with the Railroad Bill …show more content…
The process of westward migration had gotten a jumpstart with the discovery of California Gold in 1848 and started up again with the 1862 Homestead Act, which basically gave a railroad to just about anyone who would supposedly improve upon it. Frontier settlement received a huge boost as the railroads sold off acres of their grants along the route, there was a sense that it brought civilization, better weather, and prosperity. A Union Pacific’s chief engineer said that a rain belt followed the tracks at a rate of eight miles per year. Settlers who ran across areas such as the Great Plains and the midwest regions generally found otherwise, although a large amount of land was sold and settled just the
Learning Target 2: The Physical World
Step 3:
Research the construction of major building project (using the list below) and explain how both the earth’s interior and exterior forces impacted the building project. Place your findings into a 1-2 page informal writing.
The Transcontinental Railroad was one of the great projects of the 1800s, and could be considered as something that remade the American West. Consider the fact that any railroad was, by nature, a form of transportation the was significantly more dependent on geography than anything that had preceded it. It was not tied onto preexisting waterways such as other technology, like the steamboat, and given its overall speed, it could cross almost any terrain with ease - given that its built correctly on the land. As technology improved, railroads developed the capacity to span rivers and gorges, topple hills, and tunnel through various mountains. When terrain couldn’t be surmounted, it was changed.
Breaking those paths and laying the track required tremendous resources. One being the grant of land given to railroad companies by the federal government with the Railroad Bill …show more content…
The process of westward migration had gotten a jumpstart with the discovery of California Gold in 1848 and started up again with the 1862 Homestead Act, which basically gave a railroad to just about anyone who would supposedly improve upon it. Frontier settlement received a huge boost as the railroads sold off acres of their grants along the route, there was a sense that it brought civilization, better weather, and prosperity. A Union Pacific’s chief engineer said that a rain belt followed the tracks at a rate of eight miles per year. Settlers who ran across areas such as the Great Plains and the midwest regions generally found otherwise, although a large amount of land was sold and settled just the