Primary Sources

Book

Williams, Henry. The Pacific Tourist. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Library, 1876. Making of America. Web. 7 June 2016.

In this travel guide, Williams describes the magnificence of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Williams notes that the railroad explored the uncharted West. In 1860, the population of the

West was 619,000. According to this guide, the population doubled by 1870. Williams says that

the labor and research of the Transcontinental Railroad is “beyond expression or terms of

comparison.” Over 40 artists collaborated on the artwork in the guide trying to capture the

beauty of the West. The descriptions and artwork of the West in this guidebook help me

understand the great accomplishment and wonder of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Cartoon

"Does Not Such a Meeting Make Amends?" 29 May 1869. Cartoon.Central Pacific Railroad Photographic Museum. N.p., 8 Apr. 2016. Web. 8 June 2016.

Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper published this cartoon after the completion of the

Transcontinental Railroad. The cartoon depicts two hands representing the Union and Central

Pacific reaching towards each other. Below, Native Americans run in fear. Native American life

was destroyed by the Transcontinental Railroad. The railroad made it easier for white settlers to

explore the West and to take Indian land. The railroad also killed buffalo, the animal

necessary to Native American life and culture. By 1870, Native Americans had been relocated to

ten different reservations. This source helped me understand the fear and hatred the Native

Americans had for the Transcontinental Railroad.

Collections

"Westward by Sea: A Maritime Perspective on American Expansion." (1820-1890). Mystic Seaport. Web. 7 June 2016.

This collection of diaries and letters was written by travelers sailing around South America to reach the West coast. From reading these documents, I learned that the trip was filled with disease and often could be deadly. The trip could take up to six months. The Transcontinental Railroad made travel to the West easier and more efficient. This source helped me understand the importance of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Modelski, Andrew. "Railroad Maps of the United States: Original 19th-century Maps in the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress." (1828-1900). Library of Congress. Web. 7 June 2016.

Modelski’s collection of railroad maps dates from 1828 to 1900. Early maps show railroads

covering the Eastern portion of the United States. After the completion of the Transcontinental

Railroad, more routes began to stretch out to the West. Looking at this collection of maps helped

me understand how the Transcontinental Railroad helped lead exploration westward.

Journal

Dorney, P.S. “A Prophecy Partly Verified.” 1886. Print. Reconstruction and Industrialization. Chicago: William Benton, 1971. Print. Vol. 10 of The Annals of America.

P.S. Dorney’s journal analyzes the discrimination and attacks against the Chinese during

the time of the Transcontinental Railroad. After the completion of the railroad in 1869, Chinese

workers flooded the labor markets on the West Coast. American workers felt threatened by these

Chinese workers. They felt as if they were taking Americans’ jobs because the Chinese would

accept lower pay. They called the working Chinese the “yellow peril.” Whites reacted to the

competition by rioting and resorting to violence. This source helped me understand the nation’s

attitude towards the Chinese after the Transcontinental Railroad.

Legal Acts

Chinese Exclusion Act. 1882. “Chinese Exclusion Act.” Our Documents. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.

The Chinese Exclusion Act was signed into law in 1883 by President Chester Arthur. It was an

attempt to solve unemployment for white Americans. The Chinese came to the West to build the

Transcontinental Railroad. Their intelligence in engineering and willingness to accept lower pay

made them preferable to white workers. The Chinese Exclusion Act prevented Chinese from

becoming citizens and stopped Chinese immigration for ten years. This source helped me

understand the discrimination against the Chinese that took place because of the

Transcontinental Railroad.

Geary Act. 1892. “Geary Act.” Our Documents. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.

The Geary Act extended the Chinese Exclusion Act for ten more years. In 1902, the barring of

Chinese immigration became permanent. White workers were angry at the Chinese because the

Chinese were taking their jobs. This source helped me understand the lasting impact hiring

Chinese workers on the Transcontinental Railroad had on America.

Homestead Act. 1862. “Homestead Act.” Our Documents. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Jun. 2016.

On May 20, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which exchanged 160

acres of land for 5 years of continuous residence. The Homestead Act created a bigger need for a

transcontinental railroad and angered Native Americans. This source helped me understand the

promises the government made to new settlers in the Midwest.

Pacific Railway Act. 1862. "Pacific Railway Act." Our Documents. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.

The Pacific Railway Act was passed during a very controversial time. Abraham Lincoln waited

until after the South had seceded from the Union. He knew that the Southern states would not

agree to the Northern route. The Pacific Railway Act gave the Central Pacific and the Union

Pacific permission to start construction. It also granted the two companies land and money. This

source helped me understand how the Transcontinental Railroad had its start.

Letters

"A Glimpse of Mormon Immigrants." Letter. 23 July 1868. American Experience. Web. 7 June 2016.

In this letter written by a Union Pacific railroad worker, the author describes his encounter with Mormon immigrants in Omaha. While the train made a stop in Omaha, the worker saw Mormon immigrants desperate for money. The immigrants were planning on traveling West. According to the author, seeing the poor immigrants helped him realize how the Transcontinental Railroad would improve travel and the possibility of the American dream. This letter helped me understand the positive impact the Transcontinental Railroad had on exploration and immigration.

Stanton, Edwin. Letter to William Sherman. 5 Feb. 1867. Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum. Web. 7 June 2016.

In this letter, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton authorizes General Sherman’s order to send troops to protect railroad work crews. Troops were needed to regulate travel and protect the crews from attacking Plains Indians. The Native Americans attacked the work crews to protest the theft of their land by white settlers. This source helped me understand the government’s reaction to the protest of the angry Native Americans.

Newspaper Articles

"East and West: Completion of the Great Line Spanning the Continent." New York Times 11 May 1869: n. pag. New York Times. Web. 5 June 2016.

The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad was a monumental moment in American

history. The ceremony of the Golden Spike took place on May 10, 1869. The article described

the excitement as “deafening shouts of the multitude” and said that many New Yorkers were

planning on taking a trip to San Francisco on the new route. This source is primary because it

was published during the celebration of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. This

source helped me understand the excitement over having a quicker route to the West.

"The Great Chief: Red Cloud Meets His White Brethren at Cooper Institute." New York Times 17 Jun. 1870: n. pag. New York Times. Web. 7 June 2016.

After the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, Chief Red Cloud presented this

speech at Cooper Institute. As this article reported, Red Cloud was saddened by the success of

the railroad. He said that all Sioux Indians were sad and angry about being removed from their

homeland. Red Cloud proposed an idea of equality; he asked why the white men had the

superiority to seize Native American land. He also referred to the Declaration of Independence

by stating “all men are created equal.” This source helped me understand the perspective of the

Plains Indians during the time of the Transcontinental Railroad.

"Railroad Celebration East." The Daily Herald 11 May 1869: n. pag. Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum. Web. 5 June 2016.

Chicago was full of celebration on May 10, 1869. This newspaper article explains the

celebrations that took place on the day the Transcontinental Railroad was completed. After

Leland Stanford drove in the last spike, the city was decorated with banners and flags. According

to the article, nearly every vehicle in the city participated in a grand parade. This source helped

me understand the momentous impact the Transcontinental Railroad had in the East.

"A Transcontinental Railway." New York Times 16 Dec. 1869: n. pag. New York Times. Web. 5 June 2016.

After completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, the railroad industry grew. On December 15,

1896, committee in New York met and discussed building more railroad track throughout the

state. They noticed what a successful impact the Transcontinental Railroad had on trade. The

Railroad made it easier to transport goods to and from the West. After the Transcontinental

Railroad was completed, the number of tracks and routes across the country continued to

increase. This source helped me understand how the Transcontinental Railroad was a known

success and helped create new railroads.

Proposals

Judah, Theodore. "A Practical Plan for Building the Pacific Railroad." 1 Jan. 1857. Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco. Web. 7 June 2016.

In this proposal, Judah describes the potential of a transcontinental railroad and how he would

plan to build it. Before making his proposal, Theodore Judah and Daniel Strong planned a path

to the West Coast. They mapped a route for their potential railroad. In his plans, Judah proposed

snow sheds to block the tracks from the snow. He also reassured that a path through the Sierra

Nevada range was possible. Judah convinced four investors to help support him by encouraging

the Pacific Railroad that his plans would work. In his proposal, Judah refers to the

Transcontinental Railroad as the “most magnificent project ever conceived.” I used this quote on

my exhibit. This source helped me understand how Judah’s enthusiasm and belief in the project

helped conceive the Transcontinental Railroad.

Whitney, Asa. "Memorial of Asa Whitney." 17 Jan. 1848. Central Pacific Railroad Photographic Museum. Web. 7 June 2016.

In 1848, Asa Whitney, a dry-goods salesman from the East, asked Congress for permission to

build a railroad from Michigan to the Pacific Coast. He wanted to make trade easier with China

by making an accessible route to the West Coast. In his proposal, Whitney promised to survey

the land, oversee the construction crews, and complete the first ten miles of track at his own

expense. Although his proposals were turned down, Whitney became a public speaker

advocating for a transcontinental railroad. Whitney lived to see the completion of the First

Transcontinental Railroad. This source helped me understand how Asa Whitney helped place the

idea of a transcontinental railroad into the public mind.

Speech

Meade, Erwin. “Chinese Immigration: Its Social, Moral, and Political Effect.” Sacramento. 7 Sept. 1877. Speech. Print. Reconstruction and Industrialization. Chicago: William Benton, 1971. Print. Vol. 10 of The Annals of America.

Meade presented his speech to the Social Science Association of America in 1877. Oriental

workers were known as “coolies.” They were neat, patient, hardworking, and did not participate

in labor unions. American workers, however, did not like the “coolies.” Americans thought that

the Chinese were taking their jobs. In this address, Meade suggested limiting Chinese

immigration to solve the problem of “coolies.” This speech is a primary source because it was

given during the time of Chinese discrimination after the Transcontinental Railroad. This source

helped me understand why Americans did not like the Chinese.

Secondary Sources

Artifacts

Golden Spike.

This is a replica of the Golden Spike, the last spike in the Transcontinental Railroad. Leland Stanford of the Central Pacific hammered in this spike at the ceremony at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869.

75th Anniversary Transcontinental Railroad Stamps.1944.

These stamps were issued in 1944 for the 75thanniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. I displayed them in front of my exhibit.

Books

Ambrose, Stephen. Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad. New York City: Simon and Schuster, 2000. Print.

The Transcontinental Railroad had thousands of people behind it. President Abraham Lincoln

was one of the biggest supporters of the railroad. In 1862, he signed the Pacific Railway Act,

which approved the new railroad and granted it land and money. Irish and Chinese railroad

workers risked their lives working on the Transcontinental Railroad. Ted Judah and

Daniel Strong surveyed the land across the Sierra Nevada. This book helped me

understand the importance of the people that built the Transcontinental Railroad. It also helped

me understand the incredible feat the Transcontinental Railroad was and the hardships the

railroad workers endured.

Bain, David Haward. Empire Express: Building the First Transcontinental Railroad. New York City: Penguin Group, 1999. Print.

I used a photo of Theodore Judah from this book. Judah was an Eastern Railroad engineer. In

1860, he and Daniel Strong found a path through the Sierra Nevada mountains through the

Donner Pass. He convinced Lincoln that a transcontinental railroad was necessary. He

found four investors to help him start his new railroad company, the Central Pacific. Once the

railroad started construction, the investors and Judah began to argue over money and morals. In

1863, Judah traveled by ship to New York City, and died of yellow fever. This source helped me

understand “Crazy Judah’s” vision for the railroad and how the “Big Four” came to be in control

of the Central Pacific.

Blumberg, Rhoda. Full Steam Ahead: The Race to Build a Transcontinental Railroad. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1996. Print.

The Transcontinental Railroad impacted the civilization of the West. As construction

continued to go West, railroad workers would set up tent cities. Some of these towns would

become permanent. Gamblers, saloon owners, prostitutes, and outlaws followed the tracks and

stopping at each town. These towns were called “Hell on Wheels” towns because of their tough