Format
1. Students will be introduced to the idea of the transcontinental railroad and what Americans hoped to gain from its construction
2. Students will review possible routes and learn about construction methods relating to the railroads in the 19th century
3. Students will learn about the lasting impact of the construction of the railroad line
4. Question and answer session
Objectives
The participant will:
- analyze primary sources on the construction of the transcontinental railroad
- model construction techniques common with the construction of a railroad line in the 19th century
- engage in a discussion about the impacts of the construction of the transcontinental railroad
Standards Alignment
National Standards
NSS-USH.5-12.6 ERA 6:
The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
- Understands how the rise of corporations, heavy industry, and mechanized farming transformed the American people
- Understands massive immigration after 1870 and how new social patterns, conflicts, and ideas of national unity developed amid growing cultural diversity
- Understands the rise of the American labor movement and how political issues reflected social and economic changes
- Understands Federal Indian policy and United States foreign policy after the Civil War
State Standards
South Carolina Social Studies
South Carolina Social Studies Standard (4.3.CE)
Analyze the effects of government policies in promoting United States territorial expansion into the west.
South Carolina Social Studies Standard (4.3.P)
Analyze the role of technology and the environmental impact during the period of Westward Expansion.
South Carolina Social Studies Standard (4.3.CC)
Recognize patterns of continuity and change in the experiences of Native Americans and Spanish-speaking people as the U. S. expanded westward.
South Carolina Social Studies Standard (5.1.CO)
Compare the physical landscape and demographics of the U.S. before and after the Transcontinental Railroad.
South Carolina Social Studies Standard (5.1.CE)
Examine push- and pull-factors related to immigration and expansion on urban and rural populations during the period.