How did the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad open up the West?

Question

I'm beat on ideas and need help here.

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Transcontinental_Railroad

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/tcrr/sfeature/sf_interview.html

http://cprr.org/Museum/Chinese.html

http://cprr.org/CPRR_Discussion_Group/2006/12/impact-of-transcontinental-railroad.html

http://mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/social_studies/age_of_progress.html

http://memory.loc.gov/learn/collections/rr/history.html

http://web.umr.edu/~rogersda/american&military_history/THEODORE%20JUDAH%20AND%20THE%20BLAZING%20OF%20THE%20FIRST%20TRANSCONTINENTAL%20RAILROAd-Sierra%20Nevada-Rogers.pdf

http://books.google.com/books?id=TFyLOUrdGFwC&pg=PA222&lpg=PA222&dq=transcontinental+railroad+movement+west&source=web&ots=R4QgFLM2UF&sig=msUTXquhT6QVjCFQx-KKnppyS0Q

Try these sites for all the info you could want.

Answer 2

The Transcontinental Railroad linked the east coast with the west coast. A person or package could be delivered from New York to San Francisco, or any where in between in a matter of weeks instead of months and in a lot better shape. Cattle could be driven to towns where the railroad had a siding and loaded on the train to be delivered. A lot of towns vied for these stations because it brought commerce with it. It was a very big deal back then and one of the best stories around. The first link started it all.

Answer 3

Well it stands to reason ... When the railroad was completed ,first people were able to move to new cities , many new cities were established along the rail corridor , bringing materials like farming tools , lumber tools , mining machinery etc. Also in the west or the Pacific coast there were already cities established by the shipping lines , like San Francisco , Vancouver , Seattle , Los Angeles etc. and when the rail opened, eased up the filing of the center part of the country by transporting people and goods from west to the east as well .

Answer 4

It was a much cheaper and quicker means of travel. Instead of buying and stocking a wagon for a six month journey, they could buy a train ticket, travel about a week and use their money to buy the supplies they needed when they got to their destination in the West. It opened the country up in a way that before they only dreamed about.

Answer 5

GOLLY, WASNT THAT SO CUTE?