Resources and history about the railroad spike 150. The railroad also had a psychological effect of bringing the country together, a sentiment expressed by the may 11 new york times. In 1862, the central pacific and the union pacific railroad companies began building a transcontinental railroad that would link the united states from east to. Facts, information and articles about transcontinental railroad, an event of westward expansion from the wild west. The first transcontinental railroad was a 1,912mile 3,077 km continuous railroad line. Using the railroad as a common point of reference, this workshop will expand your understanding of gilded age history and culture. It was 1,776 miles long and served for the atlantic and pacific coasts of the united states to be connected by. Until the completion of the transcontinental rail link and the railroads opening of its own shops, all locomotives had to be.
Transcontinental railroad recruits chinese laborers pbs. When it was completed, the railroad transformed america. The pacific railroad made the transcontinental railroad literally. American experience transcontinental railroad special. It was the worst epidemic in american history, killing over 600,000. The nez perce story, 2009, and the gilder lehrman institute of american history, american indians and the transcontinental railroad. In 1869 americas first transcontinental railroad was. California donner nevada county placer county sacramento sacramento county yuba pass, 1968.
The central pacifics first three locomotives were of the then common 440 type, although with the american civil war raging in the east, they had difficulty acquiring engines from eastern builders, who at times only had smaller 424 or 422 types available. The first transcontinental railroad was built crossing the western half of america and it was pieced together between 1863 and 1869. Ted kornweibel is the author of railroads in the african american experience. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in american history.
Remembering chinese immigrants contribution to the. Nitroglycerin american experience official site pbs. Buy online, pick up in store is currently unavailable, but this item may be available for instore purchase. Historic american engineering record, creator, and owner union pacific railroad. Transcontinental railroad construction, competition. Download railroads in the african american experience a. American experience the transcontinental railroad part. American experience the transcontinental railroad part 1. Televisions mostwatched history series, american experience brings to life the incredible characters and epic stories that have shaped americas past and p. The pacific railroad was the last part of the transcontinental railroad to be built. American experience subtitles subtitles download movie.
We will update this page as new films become available. American experience, originally titled the american experience, is an american television program and a pbs documentary series created by peter mcghee. On may 10, 1869, in a ceremony at promontory, utah, the last rails were laid and the last spike driven, completing the first transcontinental railroad through the united states. Native americans and the transcontinental railroad. We will explore how the transcontinental railroad inaugurated a national transportation and communications network, a truly national marketplace for the passage of goods, a much largerscaled industrial capitalism than ever before, and a largerscaled labor. Inside raged a fierce pride that did not easily forget its wounding. The puritans came to america in 1630 believing that their survival in the new world would be a sign of gods approval. Project remembers chinese railroad workers in us through. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. The transcontinental railroad was nicknamed the overland route because it was an alternative to the maritime route around south america. Watch the transcontinental railroad american experience pbs. This short is about the race to build the worlds first transcontinental railroad. In this video segment adapted from american experience, explore archival photos and interviews. The impact of the transcontinental railroad nehedsitement.
He did not hide displeasure when overlooked for the presidency of the central pacific. It connected the east and west coast of the united states paving the way for white settlers at the expense of. The makers of transcontinental railroad traveled back and forth across the original route of the. By 1860 the united states had more railroad track than the rest of the world combined. Transcontinental railroad dvd region 1 us import ntsc. American experience the transcontinental railroad part 1 alan hijazi.
Transcontinental railroad and the american west youtube. From man to machine the american experience in the classroom. Next year marks the 150th anniversary of when large numbers of chinese started working on the transcontinental railroad in the united states. With michael murphy, phil roberts, fred gamst, wendell huffman. The first transcontinental railroad arizona geographic alliance.
This program traces the chinese experience in america, from their welcome in san francisco as celestial men of commerce, through the gold rush and building of the transcontinental railroad, to the 1882 chinese exclusion act banning their entry into the u. Stream these american experience documentaries anywhere, anytime. American experience, tvs mostwatched history series, brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today. Central pacific transcontinental railroad, sacramento to. Very little is known about these workers lives and. Transcontinental railroad available in dvd ship this item this item is available online through marketplace sellers.
Stereoviews, engravings, maps, and documents are treasures of western americana that illustrate the history of the first transcontinental railroad, built from sacramento, california over the sierra nevada mountains, the to end of track at the golden spike ceremony at promontory, utah where the rails were joined on may 10, 1869 with the union. Manifest destiny is defined as the concept of american exceptionalism, that is, the belief that america occupies a special place among the countries of the world. The union pacific also utilized their experience repairing and building truss bridges during the war. This assured that 4 feet, 812 inches would be the north american standard gauge. American experience transcontinental railroad is a meticulously researched and informative documentary, but it is not wellsuited for use in high schools.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The film provides a very slow and detailed narrative of events, and no single episode concisely captures the main themes that most teachers are looking to convey to their students. The first transcontinental railroad journey despite the publicity for the last spike, the american rail network did not yet actually run to either coast. In this awardwinning collection, explore documentaries, biographies, interviews, articles, image galleries and more for an indepth look at the history of the american presidency. With its completion, california and the western territories of the u.
These railroad pages are reproduced in full on the cprr website with the permission of the chinese historical society. The transcontinental railroad explores the events, ideas, and people that contributed to the railroad one of the greatest engineering feats of the nineteenth century before, during, and after construction. From this initiative sprang the central pacific railroad company. The pacific railroad act of 1862 was signed by president abraham lincoln and licensed two railroad companies to build the first transcontinental railroad that would connect the eastern and the western parts of the united states see the fact file below for more information on the first transcontinental railroad or alternatively, you can download our 20page first continental railroad. Transcontinental railroad, united states building the world. These included an extensive series of expeditions of the american west seeking possible. San francisco, chinese historical society of america, 1969. Watch american experience the transcontinental railroad part 1 alan hijazi on dailymotion. Watch american experience the transcontinental railroad part 1 alan. David kilton discussed the history, construction, and impact of the transcontinental railroad. Six nasa lunar missions followed over the next few years, and 10 more astronauts walked the lunar surface. Central pacific railroad construction in the 1860s. Western railroad songs 1994 this set may be the most comprehensive collection specifically dealing with the transcontinental lines, with songs covering an astounding range of topics. Americas manifest destiny the american experience in.
American experience is a television program airing on the public broadcasting service public television stations in the united states. Season 15, episode 7 transcontinental railroad first aired. Watch american experience the transcontinental railroad part 2 video dailymotion alan hijazi on dailymotion. In this interview, donald fixico, thomas bowlus distinguished professor of american indian history and director of the center for indigenous nations studies at the university of kansas, talks about the west before white settlement, the impact of the railroad on native american life, and the nearextinction of the american buffalo. See more ideas about social studies, westward expansion and us history. The first transcontinental railroad known originally as the pacific railroad and later as the overland route was a 1,912mile 3,077 km continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern u.
The first transcontinental railroad in the united states was built in the. Pride and conflict huntingtons experience as a businessman made him a master calculator with a hardened exterior. Enter your zip code for information on american experience events and screening in your area. Watch the transcontinental railroad american experience. January 27, 2003 charting the race between the union pacific and central pacific to construct a transcontinental railroad to link the u. Remembering chinese immigrants contribution to the transcontinental railroad utahans are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the completion of the. Railroads figure heavily in american folk music, and smithsonian has compiled a great collection of railroad tunes performed by some of the biggest names in folk. American experience transcontinental railroad people. A photographic journey, the first book to detail the entire sweep of. The first american railroad to carry passengers and freight was the baltimore. American experience transcontinental railroad tv episode 2003. A hiddenhill productions film for american experience.
In 1851 the american railroad journal declared that the railroad had become, the great agent of civilization and progress, the most powerful instrument for good the world has yet reached. The lincoln administration, after planning the transcontinental railroad at 5 feet, 0 inches to conform with the existing railroad in california, decided on 4 feet 812 for consistency with the most important eastern railroads. The series airs documentaries about historic events or historical figures that had an impact upon the united states government or its citizens. It unleashed a tidal wave of growth as immigrants moved west. The journey was not cheap the fare from omaha to san francisco in. Hiddenhill productions for american experience, 2003. Then the united states government stopped funding such missions. Report video issue javascript must be enabled in order to access cspan videos. Railroad map software strategy map balanced scorecard v. The completion of the transcontinental railroad made the american west easily accessible, creating a boon of trade, business and population.
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